ZnO-MWCNT @ Fe3O4 as a novel catalyst for methanol and ethanol oxidation

Zinc oxide is considered a practical substance in various fields of science, but the low electrical conductivity of zinc oxide seems to be one of the main reasons for its limited use in alcohol oxidation for application in fuel cells. In this study, the ZnO, ZnO-MWCNT, and ZnO-MWCNT@Fe3O4 catalysts were synthesized by hydrothermal method, and their structures and morphologies were characterized by XRD, SEM, EDX, TEM, and BET. To evaluate the electrochemical performance of catalysts, their electro-catalytic ability was investigated in methanol and ethanol oxidation processes. The results showed that the addition of Fe3O4-decorated multi-wall carbon nanotubes to the structure of zinc oxide created the active oxidation sites and increased the conductivity and specific area in the catalyst. The synergistic effects of placement of the catalyst components to each other increased the methanol and ethanol oxidation ability of ZnO-MWCNT@Fe3O4, and the excellent stability of 91% was obtained during 500 cycles in the MOR process. The proposed catalyst introduces ZnO-based materials as a catalyst that has promising potential applications in alcohol oxidation.