简介：Uptothisdate,researchersarestillfacingdifficultiestoexpandthetechnologyofdirectmethanolfuelcells(DMFCs)becauseofthehighoverpotentialrequiredtooxidizethemethanolanditsrelativelypoorperformanceduetoCOpoisoningoftheleading-highcostanodecatalyst.Inlinewiththis,wehavesuccessfullymodifiedthemorphologicalstructureandcompositionoflowcostcobaltbased-metaloxides,MCo2O4(M=ZnandNi),withthesimpleandnobleuseofpolyvinylpyrrolidone(PVP)asgrowthmodifierandsurfacestabilizerduringthesynthesisofnanoparticlesinourpreviousreports,whichshownhighelectrocatalyticactivityandstrongstability.DuetothegoodperformanceofourPVPmodifiedMCo2O4towardspseudocapacitorandoxygenevolutionreactionapplications,wedecidedtoextendourresearchstudytomethanoloxidationreaction.Remarkably,PVPmodifiedNiCo2O4electrodedirectlygrownonnickelfoamsubstrateviaasimplehydrothermalprocessexhibitedbetterperformancecomparedwithPVPmodifiedZnCo2O4andNiCo2O4withoutPVP.Ithadobtainedaremarkablylowonsetpotentialof0.285Vandhighcurrentdensityof280mAcm-2,andshowngreatstabilityandhighpoisontoleranceduringacontinuousCVcyclingandChronoamperometrytest,whichattainedhighefficiencyof86.86%and98.52%,respectively.ThesepositiveresultsofPVPmodifiedNiCo2O4electrodetowardsMORmightbeattributedtoitshierarchical3Dnanostructureswithhighlymesoporoussurfaceandlargesurfaceareawhichmayhaveprovidednumerouselectroactivesites,andtheexceptionalcorrosionstabilityofNiCo2O4electrodeinalkalinesolution.