Synthesis of Pt3Sn Alloy Nanoparticles and Their Catalysis for Electro-Oxidation of CO and Methanol

• Published in: ACS catalysis Vol. 1; no. 12; pp. 1719 - 1723
• Main Authors: Liu, Yi, Li, Dongguo, Stamenkovic, Vojislav R, Soled, Stuart, Henao, Juan D, Sun, Shouheng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: American Chemical Society 02.12.2011
• Subjects: synthesis; catalysis; methanol oxidation; Pt3Sn nanoparticles; CO oxidation
• DOI: 10.1021/cs200430r
• ISSN: 2155-5435

Monodisperse Pt3Sn alloy nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized by a controlled coreduction of Pt(II) acetylacetonate and Sn(II) acetylacetonate at 180–280 °C in 1-octadecene. In the synthesis, oleylamine was used as a reducing agent, and oleylamine/oleic acid served as surfactants. The sizes of the Pt3Sn NPs were tuned from 4 to 7 nm by controlling the metal salt injection temperatures from 180 to 240 °C. These monodisperse Pt3Sn NPs were highly active for CO and methanol oxidation in 0.1 M HClO4 solutions, and their activity and stability could be further improved by a postsynthesis thermal treatment at 400 °C in Ar + 5% H2 for 1 h. They are promising as a practical catalyst for CO and methanol oxidation reactions in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell conditions.