An effective Pd-NiO x -P composite catalyst for glycerol electrooxidation: Co-existed phosphorus and nickel oxide to enhance performance of Pd

Abstract Highly active and durable catalysts are crucial for the development of direct alcohol fuel cells (DAFCs). Herein, a phosphorus and nickel oxide co-existed composite catalyst (Pd-NiOx-P/C) is prepared for glycerol electrooxidation in alkaline media. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis reveal that the phosphorus and nickel oxide are co-existed in the Pd-NiOx-P/C composite catalyst. Compared with Pd/C catalyst, electrochemical measurements present that it has good electrocatalytic performance with higher electrochemically active surface area (EASA = 576.3 cm2 mg−1Pd), larger peak current (Ip = 0.3640 A mg−1Pd) and lower activation energy (Ea = 21 kJ mol−1). More importantly, the Pd-NiOx-P/C exhibits high stability. It will be a promising Pd-based catalyst in DAFCs.