Facile synthesis of platinum and nickel sulfides supported in N-doped carbon nanotubes for oxygen reduction reaction

Abstract Sulfides of platinum and nickel supported on N-doped carbon nanotubes were synthesized by two methods: a) solvothermal and b) chemical reduction. Physicochemical characterization of the electrocatalysts indicated that solvothermal reaction promotes a higher dispersion of the materials over the N-CNT. Electrochemical evaluation in alkaline media also demonstrates that Ni-based catalysts reduce molecular oxygen by the 2e- pathway, while Pt-based materials follow the 4e- route. According to the results, solvothermal method demonstrated better electrocatalytic response versus chemical reduction synthesized materials.