Microwave-Assisted Synthesis of Co3(PO4)2 Nanospheres for Electrocatalytic Oxidation of Methanol in Alkaline Media

Abstract

Low-cost and high-performance advanced electrocatalysts for direct methanol fuel cells are of key significance for the improvement of environmentally-pleasant energy technologies. Herein, we report the facile synthesis of cobalt phosphate (Co 3 (PO 4 ) 2 ) nanospheres by a microwave-assisted process and utilized as an electrocatalyst for methanol oxidation. The phase formation, morphological surface structure, elemental composition, and textural properties of the synthesized (Co 3 (PO 4 ) 2 ) nanospheres have been examined by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherm investigations. The performance of an electrocatalytic oxidation of methanol over a Co 3 (PO 4 ) 2 nanosphere-modified electrode was evaluated in an alkaline solution using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and chronopotentiometry (CP) techniques. Detailed studies were made for the methanol oxidation by varying the experimental parameters, such as catalyst loading, methanol concentration, and long-term stability for the electro-oxidation of methanol. The good electrocatalytic performances of Co 3 (PO 4 ) 2 should be related to its good surface morphological structure and high number of active surface sites. The present investigation illustrates the promising application of Co 3 (PO 4 ) 2 nanospheres as a low-cost and more abundant electrocatalyst for direct methanol fuel cells.

Room-Temperature Preparation of Cobalt-Based Electrocatalysts through Simple Solution Treatment for Selectively High-Efficiency Hydrogen Evolution Reaction in Alkaline or Acidic Medium

“…For the O 1s spectra, the peaks appearing at 530.9 eV and 531.8 eV can be assigned to the P-O bonding, which also confirms Journal of Nanomaterials the existence of Co-Pi [26,29]. The binding energy between 529.0 eV and 529.5 eV is related to the Co-O bonding [33,35], which may be caused by oxidation in air. The peak located at 530.8 eV and 531.5 eV can be attributed to Co(OH) 2 [36,37].…”

“…The peaks for Co 2p3/2 show that Co exists not only in the +2 but also in the +3 state. The representative peaks for Co 2+ locate at 781.2 eV and 781.9 eV, and the peaks for Co 3+ locate at 778.4 eV [32,33]. The presence of Co 3+ indicates the potential existence of CoP.…”

“…The presence of Co 3+ indicates the potential existence of CoP. The peak between 129.3 eV and 129.6 eV corresponding to P 3− exactly confirms the presence of CoP [26,33,34]. Furthermore, the binding energy of 131.9 eV and 133.2 eV corresponds to phosphate, which suggests the existence of Co-Pi [29].…”

Recent Advances in Metal Chalcogenides (MX; X = S, Se) Nanostructures for Electrochemical Supercapacitor Applications: A Brief Review

“…A substantial global upsurge in the depletion of fossil fuels from the rapid growth of global economy has generated two vital concerns: the first is the exhaustion of existing fossil fuel reserves, and the second is associated with an increase in greenhouse gas emissions, in particular, and environmental pollution, in general. Hence, it is necessary to develop and commercialize sustainable environment friendly energy sources and their related technologies are being developed globally as a matter of urgency [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]. Also, the development of associated energy conversion devices to gather these intermittent energy sources efficiently is in demand.…”

Electrocatalytic properties of hydroxyapatite thin films electrodeposited on stainless steel substrates

“…The majority of works published in the domain of organic pollutant electrodegradation focuses on electrodeposition since this approach offers performant results with low cost 12,13 .…”