Combining silver, polyaniline and polyvinylpyrrolidone for efficient electrocatalysis of borohydride oxidation reaction.

• In situ polymerisation is used to produce Ag-polyaniline-polyvinylpyrrolidone composites. • Ag-PANI-PVP nanocomposites exhibit electrocatalysis of borohydride oxidation. • Optimum Ag content determined to be 35.4 wt.% results in low activation energy of BOR. • 35.4 wt.%Ag -PANI-PVP delivers the highest current density and specific current density. The catalytic activity of five silver-polyaniline-polyvinylpyrrolidone (Ag@PANI@PVP1–5) nanocomposites for borohydride oxidation reaction (BOR) was thoroughly examined. The nanocomposites were synthesized by an in situ chemical oxidative polymerization of aniline monomer by Ag+ ions in the presence of accelerator – PVP and physicochemical properties were determined prior their use in electrocatalysis. Ag@PANI@PVP3 with 35.4 wt% Ag delivered the highest current density and specific current density during BOR. Evaluation of the order of reaction < 1 suggested indirect BOR mechanism. Furthermore, Ag@PANI@PVP3 also delivered the highest current density and stable performance during chronoamperometric study of BOR. Its apparent activation energy of 15 kJ mol−1 was found to be the lowest among the studied materials accounting for the high current densities. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]