Fabrication of RGO/PANI-supported Pt/Cu nanoparticles as robust electrocatalyst for alkaline methanol electrooxidation

In this study, polyaniline (PANI), prepared through an in-situ polymerization technique, was combined with reduced graphene oxide (RGO) nanosheets to serve as a promising substrate for bimetallic platinum-copper (PtCu) catalyst in the form of RGO/PANI/Pt/Cu. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses were conducted to study the physicochemical properties of the fabricated RGO/PANI/Pt/Cu. Electrochemical features of the proposed structure were investigated via cyclic voltammetry (CV), linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), and chronoamperometry (CA) techniques. According to the results, employing the RGO/PANI nanocomposite as a support layer, and fabricating Pt/Cu alloys resulted in not only outstanding electrochemical performance but also high durability in the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR). The onset potential (- 0.54 V) and peak current density (60.51 mA cm(-2)) of the RGO/PANI/Pt/Cu electrocatalyst were substantially improved compared with those of pure Pt electrocatalyst (- 0.44 V and 23.35 mA cm(-2)) in the MOR. Furthermore, the appropriate catalytic activity and stability of the RGO/PANI/Pt/Cu in the MOR were confirmed by 150-scan CV measurements.

Automated summary

In this study, a promising substrate for bimetallic platinum-copper (PtCu) catalyst in the form of RGO/PANI/Pt/Cu was developed by combining polyaniline (PANI) prepared through an in-situ polymerization technique with reduced graphene oxide (RGO) nanosheets. The fabricated RGO/PANI/Pt/Cu exhibited significantly improved electrochemical performance and durability in the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) compared to pure Pt catalyst. The electrocatalyst demonstrated appropriate catalytic activity and stability in the MOR, as confirmed by 150-scan cyclic voltammetry (CV) measurements.