MoS2/Ni3S2/Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanostructure as an Electrocatalyst for Alcohol Fuel Cells

The development of active and stable catalysts is essential for the commercialization of direct alcohol fuel cells. In this work, we introduce a MoS2/Ni3S2/rGO catalyst as a cost-effective, stable, and high-performance catalyst for application in alcohol fuel cells. MoS2/Ni3S2 and its hybrid with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) are synthesized and evaluated as nanocatalysts in the alcohol (methanol and ethanol) electro-oxidation process in alkaline media. The effects of temperature and scanning rate are investigated. Voltammetry results show that MoS2/Ni3S2/rGO has good catalytic efficiency and excellent stability of 106 and 104% after 200 consecutive CV cycles for MOR and EOR, respectively. The synergic effect of starfish Ni3S2 and the coated porous MoS2 facilitates the absorption of hydroxyl ions and alcohols on the surface of the catalyst, while rGO enlarges the specific surface area and the electrical conductivity of the electrocatalyst.

Automated summary

In this study, a MoS2/Ni3S2/rGO catalyst was developed for alcohol fuel cells with cost-effectiveness, stability, and high performance. The synthesized catalysts were evaluated in alkaline media for alcohol electro-oxidation process. The results showed that the MoS2/Ni3S2/rGO catalyst exhibited good catalytic efficiency and excellent stability for methanol and ethanol.