Abstract
In this study, a facile two-step wet chemical approach was adopted to fabricate a novel polydiphenylamine (PDPA)/SiO2 nanosphericals decorated reduced graphene (GR) nanosheets composite material based modified fluorine-doped tin oxide electrode (FTO/GR-PDPA-SiO2) for the efficient electro-oxidation of methanol. GR based PDPA nanohybrid (GR-PDPA) and GR-PDPA-SiO2 were synthesized using in situ chemical oxidative polymerization technique. The crystalline geometry and morphological structures of prepared nanohybrid composites were characterized using X-ray diffraction spectroscopy and scanning electron microscope. UV-visible spectroscopy was used to confirm the presence of PDPA in the prepared composites. Electrochemical performances of the as-prepared nanohybrid electrodes were analyzed using cyclic voltammetric technique, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, chronoamperometry. The modified FTO/GR-PDPA-SiO2 nanohybrid electrode exhibits excellent electro-oxidation towards methanol due to the existence of the SiO2 network along with the synergetic linkage between PDPA and GR nanosheets which ensures the fast electron transfer kinetics amid of electrode and analyte. This effective strategy resulted in excellent electro-oxidation of methanol claim its further developments in direct methanol fuel cell application.