TY - JOUR
T1 - Mesoporous nickel/nickel hydroxide catalyst using liquid crystal template for ethanol oxidation in alkaline solution
AU - Ghanem, Mohamed A.
AU - Al-Mayouf, Abdullah M.
AU - Singh, Jai P.
AU - Abiti, Twaha
AU - Marken, Frank
PY - 2015
Y1 - 2015
N2 - A mesoporous nickel/nickel hydroxide (Ni/Ni(OH)2) catalyst was prepared by chemical reduction of nickel ions dissolved in the interstitial spaces of the hexagonal liquid crystalline template of the non-ionic surfactant Brij56. The physicochemical characterizations of the catalyst performed by surface area analyzer, X-ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopes suggests formation of a mesoporous crystalline structure of Ni/Ni(OH)2 with a surface area of 90 ± 3 m2/g. This is an order of magnitude higher than that for nickel particles formed without surfactant template. The electrochemical behavior and ethanol oxidation catalytic activity of the mesoporous Ni/Ni(OH)2 catalyst was investigated by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry techniques in alkaline medium. The activity of the mesoporous Ni/Ni(OH)2 catalyst shows a more than 10-fold increase compared to bulk nickel catalyst (formed without surfactant) consistent with the enhancement of electro-active surface area. Bulk liquid-crystal template deposition offers a reproducible platform to fabricate mesoporous metal/oxides/hydroxides with enhanced electrocatalytic performance.
AB - A mesoporous nickel/nickel hydroxide (Ni/Ni(OH)2) catalyst was prepared by chemical reduction of nickel ions dissolved in the interstitial spaces of the hexagonal liquid crystalline template of the non-ionic surfactant Brij56. The physicochemical characterizations of the catalyst performed by surface area analyzer, X-ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopes suggests formation of a mesoporous crystalline structure of Ni/Ni(OH)2 with a surface area of 90 ± 3 m2/g. This is an order of magnitude higher than that for nickel particles formed without surfactant template. The electrochemical behavior and ethanol oxidation catalytic activity of the mesoporous Ni/Ni(OH)2 catalyst was investigated by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry techniques in alkaline medium. The activity of the mesoporous Ni/Ni(OH)2 catalyst shows a more than 10-fold increase compared to bulk nickel catalyst (formed without surfactant) consistent with the enhancement of electro-active surface area. Bulk liquid-crystal template deposition offers a reproducible platform to fabricate mesoporous metal/oxides/hydroxides with enhanced electrocatalytic performance.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84928882832&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1149/2.0441507jes
U2 - 10.1149/2.0441507jes
DO - 10.1149/2.0441507jes
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84928882832
SN - 0013-4651
VL - 162
SP - H453-H459
JO - Journal of the Electrochemical Society
JF - Journal of the Electrochemical Society
IS - 7
ER -