LAUSR

Abstract It is crucial to developing high-performance anode electrocatalysts for the direct formic acid fuel cell (DFAFC). Herein, we successfully synthesize a novel catalyst with Pd and Ni nanoparticles dispersed on flower-like carbon (Pd–Ni/C), which exhibits high reactivity and stability to formic acid electrooxidation. The 3D flower-like structure of carbon matrix provides fast substances transport and expose large catalytic active sites. Density functional theory results further confirm the existence of Ni can eliminate significantly the CO poison of Pd. The special hybrid structures and the unique synergistic effect of Pd and Ni, enable the Pd–Ni/C electrocatalysts to exhibit good electrocatalytic performance. Our results demonstrate that Pd–Ni/C are a promising candidate for the anode electrocatalysts of DFAFC.