Novel spherical TiO2 supported PdNi alloy catalyst for methanol electroxidation

A novel PdNi/TiO2 electrocatalyst for methanol oxidation is fabricated using spherical TiO2 nanoparticles as support. The structural and electrochemical properties of the PdNi/TiO2 catalyst are characterized by XRD, TEM and electrochemical analysis. The cyclic voltammograms of PdNi/TiO2 catalyst show that there is a large methanol oxidation peak in about 0.882 V that is much bigger than that of the commercial PtRu/C catalyst in 0.7 V. The composite TiO2 material has high catalytic activity without UV light illumination. The electrocatalytic activity and anti-poisoning capability of the PdNi/TiO2 catalyst are promising, which may become a potential candidate for direct methanol fuel cell.