A novel graphite modified paper based cobalt-cobalt oxalate-nickel electrode for the electrooxidation of hydrogen peroxide.

The use of fossil energy has caused a serious burden on the environment, so it is urgent to find new and developable energy sources. H 2 O 2 as a new type of clean fuel for fuel cell has received widespread attention. In this paper, a novel graphite modified paper based cobalt-cobalt oxalate-nickel (FG@Co–CoC 2 O 4 –Ni) electrode is fabricated by the simple "pencil depicting-electrodeposition-oxalic acid etching-electrodeposition" process for the electrooxidation of H 2 O 2 in alkaline environment. The as-prepared FG@Co–CoC 2 O 4 –Ni electrode owns a novel and special three-dimensional (3D) porous structure, which can greatly increase the diffusion of reactants (NaOH and H 2 O 2) during the electrochemical reaction process and lead a high catalytic activity for the electrooxidation of H 2 O 2. More importantly, three main nanomaterial (Co, CoC 2 O 4 and Ni) and some new generated substances during the CV test in NaOH solution (e.g. Ni(OH) 2 , NiOOH, Co(OH) 2 , CoOOH, Co 3 O 4 and Co 2 O 3 etc.) are on the surface of paper, which will enhance the electrocatalytic activity of the FG@Co–CoC 2 O 4 –Ni electrode to a great extent due to their synergistic effect. When the reaction solution contains 1.0 mol dm−3 NaOH and 0.2 mol dm−3 H 2 O 2 , the FG@Co–CoC 2 O 4 –Ni electrode exhibits a much higher oxidation current density (270.6 mA cm−2) than the FG, FG@Co, FG@Ni, FG@Co–Ni and FG@Co–CoC 2 O 4 electrodes. Besides, the whole preparation process for the FG@Co–CoC 2 O 4 –Ni electrode doesn't use any organic binder, ensuring the electrode owns good conductivity and stability for the electrochemical reaction. At last, the electrocatalytic mechanism for the electrooxidation of H 2 O 2 is discussed. The Ni compounds and Co compounds are believed as the main catalytic substances, and the metallic Co core provides a fast route for the transfer of electrons. The super catalytic activity makes the prepared electrode in this study to be a promising material for the electrooxidation of H 2 O 2 and the novel design idea gives some guidance for the fabrication of electrode materials in the field of fuel cell. [Display omitted] • The environmentally and inexpensive filter paper is used as electrode support. • The 3D porous electrode structure can improve the catalytic performance. • The synergistic effect among complex substances can enhance the performance. • The as-prepared electrode has high catalytic activity at low H 2 O 2 concentration. • The as-prepared electrode has a fast electron transfer path. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]