Highly dispersed ultrafine Pt nanoparticles on nickel-cobalt layered double hydroxide nanoarray for enhanced electrocatalytic methanol oxidation

Highly dispersed ultrafine Pt nanoparticles (NPs) were loaded on a nickel-cobalt layered double hydroxide (NiCo-LDH) nanoarray that was grown on Ni foam (NF) via an in situ redox reaction without any external agent between Co2+ (Co(OH)(2)) in NiCo-LDH and PtC](6)(2-). The obtained Pt/NiCo-LDH/NF composite was used as a catalyst for methanol oxidation in alkaline media, showing much higher electrocatalytic activity and better anti-poisoning ability and stability for methanol oxidation than commercial Pt/C, mainly because of the uniform dispersion of ultrafine Pt NPs, the synergistic effect and stable support of NiCo- LDH. The NiCo-LDH nanoarray effectively increased the specific surface area and location sites for supporting Pt NPs and enhanced the catalytic performance and tolerance to intermediate species. This enhancement was probably due to the synergistic effect between Pt and the NiCo-LDH nanosheets, in which the LDH can provide adequate OH- (ads )species for accelerating the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR). (C) 2018 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.