Highly Dispersed Palladium Nanoparticles on Functional MWNT Surfaces for Methanol Oxidation in Alkaline Solutions

Abstract

Palladium nanoparticles were crystallized on 4‐aminobenzoic acid monolayer‐grafted multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWNT) by diazotization. The structure and nature of the resulting Pd/MWNT composite were characterized by transmission electron microscopy and X‐ray diffraction, the results show that the chemically synthesized Pd nanoparticles were homogeneously dispersed and well‐separated from one another on the modified MWNT surfaces. Cyclic voltammogram showed that the Pd‐MWNT composite materials performed higher electrocatalytic activity and better long‐term stability toward methanol oxidation in alkaline solution than Pd‐C. The results imply that the Pd‐MWNT composite materials as a promising support material improve the excellent electrocatalytic activity for methanol oxidation greatly. So the Pd/MWNT composites have a good application potential to fuel cells.