Electrodeposition of palladium on carbon nanotubes modified nickel foam as an efficient electrocatalyst towards hydrogen peroxide reduction

• A novel Pd-CNT/Ni foam electrode is developed by a two-step preparation process.
• Reduction current is increased by 68.2% on Pd-CNT/Ni foam than that on Pd/Ni foam.
• The high-dispersed Pd nanoparticles are coated the surface of CNTs.

In this article, a three-dimensional electrode (Pd-CNT/Ni foam) based on Pd nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is successfully developed by a simple “dipping and drying” process and a potentiostatic deposition technology for H2O2 reduction in base medium. The composition and structure of Pd-CNT/Ni foam electrode are examined by X-ray diffractometer, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, respectively. The cyclic voltammetry (CV) and chronoamperometry (CA) techniques are applied to determine the electrochemical performance. The electrode exhibits a high catalytic activity for H2O2 electroreduction, and it outperforms Pd/Ni foam electrode without CNT coating. At the reduction potential of −0.8 V, the reduction currents on Pd-CNT/Ni foam electrode can reach 323 mA cm−2, however, it is only 192 mA cm−2 on Pd/Ni foam electrode, which is increased by 68.2%. The impressive electrocatalytic performance is largely attributed to the superior open structure and high electronic conductivity, which allows the high utilization of Pd surfaces and makes the electrode have higher electrochemical activity. These findings may provide the opportunity on preparing binder-free carbon-supported electrode in the application of fuel cells.