A novel PdAg/TiO2 nanotube electrocatalyst for methanol electro-oxidation

A novel PdAg/TiO2 nanotube electrocatalyst was successfully prepared by the surface reductive deposition method and displacement reaction using TiO2 nanotube as support. The structural and electrochemical performances of the PdAg/TiO2 nanotube catalyst were characterized by XRD, TEM and electrochemical analysis. The PdAg/TiO2 nanotube electrocatalyst has shown promising catalytic activity for methanol electro-oxidation. The methanol oxidation mechanism of the PdAg/TiO2 nanotube catalyst mainly results from the photocatalytic mechanism of composite TiO2 material that has high catalytic activity without ultraviolet (UV) light illumination. The PdAg/TiO2 nanotube catalyst might become a promising candidate for direct methanol fuel cell.