Bimetallic composite catalyst based on NiCu alloy supported on PVA/PANI film polymer for electrodegradation of methanol

Abstract

In this study, three types of electrodes based on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/ polyaniline (PANI) are synthesized and their effects on the electro-oxidation of methanol (MeOH) are investigated. Composite electrodes of PVA/PANI-Ni, PVA/PANI-Cu, and PVA/PANI-NiCu are synthesized via the in-situ polymerization of aniline, Cu, Ni, and NiCu (Ni₈₀Cu₂₀ alloy) particles in the presence of PVA. Optical and chemical compositions and morphological characteristics of composite films are determined using UV–Vis, FTIR, SEM, and TGA analysis. The electrode degradation efficiency of MeOH following oxidation and the elimination of toxins from the solution by voltammetry and chronopotentiometry is also investigated. The results indicate that PVA/PANI-NiCu performs better than PVA/PANI-Ni electrode. The degradation of MeOH in an alkaline medium is monitored using UV–visible spectroscopy under a current density of 2.18 mAcm⁻² with a stock solution of 0.1 M MeOH for 120 min. The toxicities of MeOH and the generated by-products were tested and confirmed through a growth-inhibition test against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538 using the disk-diffusion method; the obtained results confirmed the effectiveness of our process.