Cr2O3–carbon composite as a new support material for efficient methanol electrooxidation

• Synthesis of novel chromia–carbon composite.
• The Ni–Pd nanoparticles are loaded on chromia–carbon composite.
• Enhanced catalytic activity for methanol oxidation is observed for the Ni–Pd/Cr2O3–C as compared to Ni–Pd/GCE.

Graphitic carbon material encasing chromium oxide nanoribbons [Cr2O3–C composite] is obtained by carbonizing a mixture of furfuryl alcohol and Cr-BDC MOF [BDC: benzene dicarboxylic acid; Cr3F(H2O)2O[(O2C)C6H4–(CO2)]3·nH2O] at 900 °C under inert atmosphere. The Ni–Pd nanoparticles synthesized by NaBH4 reduction method are loaded on the Cr2O3–C support via sonication. Morphological, structural, and chemical analysis of the designed chromia based carbon support and synthesized nanoparticles is carried out with PXRD, EDX, SEM, HR-TEM and BET surface area. The gas adsorption analyses reveal that BET surface area of Cr2O3–C support decreases from 438 m2 g−1 to 171 m2 g−1 by the incorporation Ni–Pd nanoparticles. The electro-oxidation reaction of methanol is carried out over the designed electrocatalysts in acidic media. The Ni–Pd nanoparticles supported on Cr2O3–C have presented a significant increase in catalytic activity for methanol oxidation and tolerance in comparison to the nanoparticles supported on activated carbon and glassy carbon electrode.

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