Tailor‐Designed Porous Catalysts: Nickel‐Doped Cu/Cu2O Foams for Efficient Glycerol Electro‐Oxidation

Herein, Cu/Cu2O foams with dendritic‐like structures were electrodeposited atop a smooth Cu electrode by using a dynamic hydrogen bubbles technique, and they were used as efficient electrocatalysts for glycerol electrooxidation. The morphology, structure, and composition of the as‐prepared Cu/Cu2O foams were tuned by using additives (e. g. KCl and NiCl2) in the copper deposition bath to maximize their electrocatalytic performance towards glycerol electrooxidation. The as‐synthesized Cu/Cu2O foams showed superior electrocatalytic activity towards the glycerol oxidation reaction, as demonstrated by the significant negative shift in the onset potential (ca. 400 mV) together with an oxidation current that is up to six times higher, compared to the Cu/Cu2O non‐porous film with the same loading. The performance of these foams was further improved by introducing optimum amounts of either Ni2+ and/or Cl− ions. These additives resulted in a significant change in the structure and shape of the electrodeposited Cu/Cu2O textures with a concurrent increase in their roughness. Material and electrochemical characterization (e. g. SEM, XRD, XPS, LSV and CV) techniques were used to link the observed enhancements to the morphology, composition, and structure of the as‐synthesized Cu/Cu2O foam materials. In a bubble: Porous foam‐like Cu/Cu2O are electrodeposited in situ by using a dynamic hydrogen bubbling technique and their properties, inculding porosity, morphology and structure, are tuned by adding some selected additives into the copper deposition bath. The electrocatalytic performance of the as‐prepared Cu‐based foams is measured towards the glycerol oxidation reaction (GOR). A film prepared in the presence of traces of Ni2+ shows the best catalytic performance towards the GOR, which is expressed as an increase in oxidation current togther with a favorable negative shift of the onset potential.