Enhanced methanol oxidation on PtNi nanoparticles supported on silane-modified reduced graphene oxide

Developing low cost, highly efficient, and long-term stability electrocatalysts are critical for direct oxidation methanol fuel cell. Despite huge efforts, designing low-cost electrocatalysts with high activity and long-term durability remains a significant technical challenge. Here, we prepared a new kind of platinum-nickel catalyst supported on silane-modified graphene oxide (NH 2 -rGO) by a two-step method at room temperature. Powder X-ray diffraction, UV–vis spectroscopy, Raman, FTIR spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results confirm that GO was successfully modified with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES), which helps to uniformly disperse PtNi nanoparticles. Cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry, CO-stripping and rotating disk electrode (RDE) results imply that PtNi/NH 2 -rGO catalyst has significantly higher catalytic activity, enhance the CO toxicity resistance, higher stability and much faster kinetics of methanol oxidation than commercial Pt/C under alkaline conditions. • Silane-modified graphene oxide (NH 2 -rGO) is synthesized. • PtNi nanoparticles are highly dispersed on NH 2 -rGO support. • Pt 8 Ni 2 /NH 2 -rGO exhibited superior activity towards methanol oxidation. • Pt 8 Ni 2 /NH 2 -rGO had better CO poisoning tolerance and much faster kinetics of methanol oxidation.