PdNi-decorated manganite nanocatalyst for electrooxidation of ethylene glycol in alkaline media

PdNi bimetallic nanoparticles coated onto manganite (MN) nanocatalyst was used for ethylene glycol (EG) and glycerol (Gly) electrooxidation in alkaline media. The MN nanorods were prepared by hydrothermal method, and the PdNi was coated on the rods by an in situ reduction method. The prepared nanocomposite was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and electrochemical methods. The SEM and TEM images exhibit the formation of nanorods of 10 nm and also show the formation of nanocrystalline PdNi on the walls of the MN nanorods. This study shows that the MN nanorods can be excellent support material and they supply oxygen to the catalyst, by which the catalytic activity is enhanced. The electrooxidation reactions in strong alkaline condition containing various concentrations of EG have been studied. Among the different concentrations, 9 M KOH/6 M EG exhibits the highest activity. PdNi/MN nanocatalyst exhibits better activity even in higher electrolytic concentrations of EG and alkali.