Ni/Biomass-Derived Nitrogen-Doped Porous Carbon Nanocomposites: Preparation and Electrocatalysis for Methanol Oxidation Reaction

The low-cost nickel nanoparticles/towel gourd derived nitrogen-doped porous carbon nanocomposites (Ni/T-dNPCN) were prepared with Ni(Ac)(2)center dot 4H(2)O and towel gourd by impregnation and then pyrolysis. The electrocatalytic performance of the nanocomposites for methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) was studied, and the effect of pyrolysis temperature on its structure and properties was also discussed. The results demonstrated that the Ni/T-dNPCN modified glassy carbon electrode (Ni/T-dNPCN/GCE) exhibited well electrocatalytic activity for MOR in alkaline electrolytes. Among them, Ni/T-dNPCN(800)/GCE possessed the best catalytic performance with the lowest onset potential (0.344 V (vs Ag/AgCl)), the highest catalytic current density (mass activity: 1 902 mA.mg(Ni)(-1); specific activity: 1.61 mA.cm(-2)) and the fastest kinetics process (Tafel slope: 50.23 mV.dec(-1)), its catalytic activity was about 3.92 times that of the commercial Pt/C catalyst modified glassy carbon electrode. And according to the chronoamperometry test, Ni/T-dNPCN(800)/GCE displayed good stability.