Facile solvothermal synthesis of Pt-Cu nanocatalyst with improved electrocatalytic activity toward methanol oxidation

Journal of the Serbian Chemical Society

Rahim Abdur¹  Hassan Ayaz²  Tariq Muhammad³  Raziq Abdul³  Khan Jehangeer³  Mehmood Muhammad Haris³ 

[1] Interdisciplinary Research Centre in Biomedical Materials (IRCBM), COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, Pakistan;Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Instituto de Química de São Carlos (IQSC), Brazil;University of Peshawar, National Centre of Excellence in Physical Chemistry, Pakistan;

关键词: cyclic voltammetry;    electrochemical activity;    chronoamperometry;    fuel cells;    dmfc;   

DOI  :  10.2298/JSC190131041M

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

A binary metal nanocatalyst of platinum and copper was synthesized using a facile solvothermal process (polyol method). The synthesized catalyst was characterized using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The electrochemical performance of the synthesized carbon supported binary metal catalyst, Pt–Cu/С, toward methanol oxidation reaction was checked and then compared with the commercial Pt/C (ETEK) catalyst, using cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometric techniques. The Pt–Cu/C catalyst was found to be cubic in shape with indentations on the particle surface, having platinum to copper atomic composition of 4:1, i.e., (Pt4Cu). The peak current density for Pt–Cu/C catalyst recorded as 2.3 mA cm-2 at 0.7 V (vs Ag/AgCl) and 50 mV s-1, was two times higher than the current density of the commercially available Pt/C catalyst (1.16 mA cm-2 at 0.76 V). Moreover, the Pt–Cu/C catalyst was found to be more durable than the commercial Pt/C catalyst, as the Pt–Cu/C retained 89 % of its initial current density, while the commercial Pt/C catalyst retained 65 % of its initial current density after 300 potential cycles.

【 授权许可】

Unknown