Ethanol oxidation reaction at Pd-modified nickel foam obtained by PVD method in alkaline solution

•PVD-Pd-modified Ni foam to catalyze ethanol oxidation.•Pd nanoparticles radically modified Ni foam’s active surface.•EOR strongly depends on Pd grain size and distribution.

In present investigation, palladium-modified nickel foam material was applied to examine ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) in 0.1 M NaOH supporting solution. An EOR catalyst was prepared by physical vapour deposition (PVD) of palladium onto Ni foam substrate. Temperature-dependent kinetics of the EOR were studied over the temperature range: 20–60 °C by means of a.c. impedance spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry techniques. The results showed significant dependence of Pd grain size and distribution on the recorded catalyst activity, based on the derived reaction charge-transfer resistance and apparent activation energy parameters. Deposition of a noble metal additive was clearly revealed through scanning electron microscopy: SEM/EDX-supported analysis.