Pt-rich shell coated Ni nanoparticles as catalysts for methanol electro-oxidation in alkaline media

The Pt-rich shell coated Ni nanoparticles in size of 8.9–12.1 nm were synthesized by chemical deposition via successive reduction of NiCl2 and H2PtCl6, respectively, in an ethylene glycol solution and characterized by TEM, XPS, ICP–AES, and XRD techniques. The electrochemical evaluation showed that as-prepared core–shell structural nanoparticles, as a catalyst for methanol electro-oxidation in alkaline media, not only exhibited better catalytic activity and resistance to carbonaceous intermediate poison than pure solid Pt nanoparticles but also decreased wastage of expensive Pt.