Three-dimensional PtxNi1−x nanoclusters supported on multiwalled carbon nanotubes in enzyme-free glucose biofuel cells

Abstract Enzyme-free glucose biofuel cells (GBFCs) have been a renewed interest because of excellent long-term stability and adequate power density. However, slow reaction kinetics and catalyst poisoning are critical obstacles to the realization of noble metal based GBFCs. In order to avoid these problems, three-dimensional (3D) flowerlike platinum (Pt)-nickel (Ni) alloy nanoparticle clusters are electrodeposited onto multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) by using a full-electrochemical protocol, which involves a key, second step of a potential pulse sequence. Polarization parameters, cell tests and degradation measurements prove that the 3D PtNi/MWCNTs catalysts have higher performance and stability for implantable GBFCs in comparison to the 3D Pt/MWCNTs and the uniform dispersive morphology PtNi/MWCNTs, and the highest catalytic activity was found for a Pt/Ni ratio of 3/7, which exhibits a high power density 3.12 ± 0.04 mW cm −2 and an open circuit potential 0.786 ± 0.005 V in physiological environment. This new procedure renders this kind of 3D PtNi/MWCNTs the possible candidate catalysts for construction of a new generation of GBFCs operating at mild conditions.