Electrocatalytic activities of binary and ternary composite electrodes of Pd, nanocarbon and Ni for electro-oxidation of methanol in alkaline medium

Films of binary and ternary composites of Pd, nanocarbon (C), and Ni are obtained on glassy carbon electrodes and investigated as electrocatalysts for methanol oxidation (MOR) in alkaline medium. Results show that among the electrocatalysts investigated, the apparent electrocatalytic activity of the Pd-0.5%C electrode is the greatest and that it decreases with increasing percentage of C in the composite. The Pd-0.5%C composite electrode has approximately two times higher activity than that of Pd electrode for MOR under similar experimental conditions. Introduction of Ni (1–2%) into the active Pd-0.5%C catalyst somewhat declines the apparent electrocatalytic activity of the electrode. The onset potential for MOR is observed to be the greatest negative at the Pd-0.5%C composite electrode, which gets shifted towards noble side by 80–100 mV with addition of Ni (1–2%).