In-situ synthesis of Cu(OH)₂ and CuO nanowire electrocatalysts for methanol electro-oxidation

Cu(OH)₂ and CuO nanowires (NWs) are synthesized using a chemical-oxidation technique followed by thermal annealing. These NWs electrodes show excellent electrocatalytic performances with a maximum current density above 50 A g⁻¹ at 0.6 V and good long-term electrochemical stabilities towards methanol electro-oxidation, compared with other copper based transition-metal oxide electrocatalysts. The excellent electrocatalytic properties of the materials are due to the direct in-situ growth of an electroactive nanostructure that enhances mechanical adhesion and facilitates a fast electron transfer between the current collector and the NWs electrocatalyst.