Document Type : Full research article

Author

• Tahereh Rohani

Department of Chemistry, Payame Noor University, Tehran 19395‑4697, Iran

Abstract

In this study, a carbon ceramic electrode was fabricated and subsequently modified by manganese dioxide/multiwalled carbon nanotubes composite (MnO2/MWCNTs). MWCNTs were hybridized with Manganese dioxide to enhance their electrocatalytic properties. The resulting nanocomposite was evaluated for its efficacy in catalyzing ethanol oxidation. Characterization of the catalyst was performed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. Electrochemical properties were studied using cyclic voltammetry (CV), differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and chronoamperometry. The results indicate a linear range from 0.02 to 0.3 mM with a detection limit of 6.2 μM and a diffusion coefficient of 5.24 × 10-7cm2s-1 for ethanol. The high surface area and conductivity of MWCNTs, hybridized with the catalytic activity of MnO₂, demonstrate the potential of the as-prepared nanocomposite for high performance fuel cell applications.

Keywords

• Ethanol oxidation
• Fuel cells
• MnO₂
• Multiwalled carbon nanotubes