Mesoporous Carbon/Co3O4 Hybrid as Efficient Electrode for Methanol Electrooxidation in Alkaline Conditions

Controlling the combined features of electroactive materials to achieve remarkable improvements in all aspects of electrochemical performances is a great challenge. In this report, C/Co3O4 microspherical flowers were directly grown on three dimensional ( 3-D) porous nickel foam ( NF) via a facile microwave-assisted hydrothermal approach followed by a post-annealing process. The self supported structure was employed in the electrocatalytic oxidation of methanol. Impressively, the hybrid C/Co(3)O(4)electrode exhibits outstanding electrocatalytic activity and superior stability towards methanol electrooxidation compared to that of pristine Co3O4 fabricated by similar procedure. The higher reactivity of the mesoporous hybrid C/Co3O4 is largely attributed to the synergetic contribution of both carbon matrices and Co3O4 electroactive sites. Furthermore, the enhanced electronic configuration of the hybrid is mainly due to carbon embedment which greatly facilitates the electron transport in the electrode and further promotes the reaction kinetics. Results indicate that the conductive nickel substrate supported the binder free C/Co3O4 electrode can be considered as a potential candidate for high-performance energy storage and conversion devices and meet the desired features of high electrocatalytic activity and long-term stability which is indispensible for direct methanol fuel cells.