Polyacrylonitril Electrospun Nanofiber As a Template to Prepare NiO Nanostructure Electrocatalyst

The present work explores a facile route to synthesize NiO nanofibers using a hybrid method based on a combination of electrospinning and calcination techniques. Poly acrylonitrile was used as a template matrix to maintain the nanostructrure of produced NiO. The as-prepared nanostructured material was characterized with X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-Ray (EDX), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. The electrochemical properties towards methanol oxidation have been studied using cyclic voltametry and Cchronoamperometry technique. Electrocatalytic oxidation of methanol on prepared NiO nanostructure in a potential range of 0-800 mV (versus SCE) is studied by cyclic voltammetry in alkaline medium (1.0 M KOH). Prepared NiO nanostructure showed an interesting activity towards methanol oxidation. The effect of scan rate has been studied and the process has approved to be diffuse rather than surface controlled.