Sawtooth-shaped nickel-based submicrowires and their electrocatalytic activity for methanol oxidation in alkaline media

• Published in: International journal of hydrogen energy Vol. 38; no. 27; pp. 11863 - 11869
• Main Authors: Yu, Dongbo, Zhang, Xinyi, Wang, Kun, He, Li, Yao, Jianfeng, Feng, Yi, Wang, Huanting
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 10.09.2013; Elsevier
• Subjects: Alternative fuels. Production and utilization; Anode catalyst; Applied sciences; Direct alcohol alkaline fuel cell; Energy; Exact sciences and technology; Fuels; Hydrogen; Nickel; Nickel; Anode catalyst; Direct alcohol alkaline fuel cell; Alkaline electrolyte fuel cells; Anode; Hydrogen; Alcohol fuel cells; Oxidation; Catalyst; Methanol
• ISSN: 0360-3199; 1879-3487
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2013.07.003

Sawtooth-shaped nickel and nickel-cobalt submicrowires were fabricated by hydrazine reduction of their salt precursors under magnetic field. The sawtooth-shaped submicrowires exhibited better electrochemical property in electrooxidation of methanol in alkaline media than nickel nanoparticles and smooth submicrowires because the sawtooth-shaped structure benefited more from both geometry of nanowires and nano-size effect. Therefore, the sawtooth-shaped nickel-based submicrowires synthesized in this work have the potential for use as a non-precious electrode catalyst for alkaline fuel cells. •Sawtooth-shaped Ni and NiCo submicrowires were synthesized under a magnetic field.•Formation mechanism of sawtooth-shaped submicrowires was discussed.•Sawtooth-shaped submicrowires exhibited higher electrochemical property.•NiCo submicrowires showed higher electrocatalytic activity than Ni counterpart.