Preparation of Ni/Carbon Hybrids by Hydrothermal Carbonization and Thermal Treatment for Application as Supports for PtRu/C Electrocatalysts

Ni/Carbon hybrids were prepared by hydrothermal carbonization at 200 ºC for 48 h using glucose as carbon source, NiCl2.6H2O as oxidizing agent and catalyst of the carbonization process. The materials were prepared in the absence and in the presence of cetyltrimetylammoniun bromide (CTAB) using an CTAB:glucose molar ratios of 1:10. The obtained carbonaceous materials were further treated at 900 ºC under Argon and PtRu nanoparticles were deposited on these materials using an alcohol reduction process. The resulting PtRu/C electrocatalysts were characterized by EDX, thermogravimetrics analysis, X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy and they were tested for methanol electro-oxidation using chronoamperometry. The PtRu/C electrocatalyst prepared using as support Ni/Carbon with CTAB showed superior performance for methanol electro-oxidation.