Electrocatalytic Performance of Nickel Hydroxide-Decorated Microporous Nanozeolite Beta-Modified Carbon Paste Electrode for Formaldehyde Oxidation

In this paper, aluminosilicate nanozeolite beta has been prepared and described using X-ray diffraction (XRD), nitrogen sorption isotherm, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), transmission electron micrograph (TEM), and field emission scanning electronic microscopy (FESEM) techniques; TEM image demonstrated semispherical particles with dimensions under 50 nm. The BET surface area, total pore volume, and pore diameter of it were attained to be 321 m 2 g −1 , 0.053 cm 3 g −1 , and 1.22 nm, respectively. The modified carbon paste electrode by aluminosilicate nanozeolite beta and nickel hydroxide (Ni(OH) 2 -Beta/CPE) was applied for formaldehyde (HCHO) electrocatalytic oxidation. The obtained results specify that Ni(OH) 2 -Beta/CPE demonstrates worthy electrocatalytic activity for oxidation of HCHO due to mesoporous construction and the great surface area of nanozeolite. The electron-transfer coefficient, catalytic rate constant, and diffusion coefficient are found to be 0.69, 2.08 × 10 6 cm 3 mol −1 s −1 , and 4.4 × 10 −7 cm 2 s −1 , respectively. The Ni(OH) 2 -Beta/CPE exhibited low background current, simplicity of surface renewal, good reproducibility, and stability and also displayed high stability up to 300 cycles and 3000 s without an important loss in the current density. This modified electrode has better poisoning tolerance capability than bare CPE for HCHO electrocatalytic oxidation and is a higher device for the long term accomplishment.