Synthesis of Ni@PbPt supported on graphene by galvanic displacement reaction for improving ethanol electro-oxidation

The high-performance Ni@PbPt electrocatalyst supported on graphene has been synthesized by a galvanic displacement reaction. The method is simple and can be carried out at room temperature without using any capping agents. Transmission electron microscopy reveals that the Ni@PbPt is well distributed with no obvious aggregation. Cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry results indicate that the material has higher electrochemical active surface area, electrocatalytic activity, more negative onset oxidative potential and stability for the electro-oxidation of ethanol compared to PtRu and the Ni@PbPt electrocatalyst supported on XC-72 carbon black.