Electrocatalytic oxidation of ethanol and ethylene glycol on bimetallic Ni and Ti nanoparticle-modified indium tin oxide electrode in alkaline solution

Abstract Bimetallic Ni and Ti nanoparticle-modified indium tin oxide electrode (Ni–Ti NPs/ITO) were prepared by a two-step ion implantation method, and their electrocatalytic activity toward the oxidation of ethanol and glycol was evaluated. The ion-implantation method is simple, low-cost and environmental friendly without the use of any binder. The Ni–Ti NPs/ITO electrode were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). SEM and AFM showed that the nanoparticles on the Ni–Ti NPs/ITO electrode had a small range of dispersion (10–20 nm) and high dispersion. Electrochemical performances were measured by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and chronoamperometrics. The Ni–Ti NPs/ITO electrode exhibited much higher electrocatalytic activity and stability for ethanol and ethylene glycol oxidation than NiNPs/ITO.