Carbon black‐heteroatom‐doped graphene aerogel hybrid supported platinum nanoparticles as electrocatalysts for oxidation of methanol and formic acid

• Published in: International journal of energy research Vol. 46; no. 15; pp. 24130 - 24147
• Main Authors: M Selim Çögenli, Yurtcan, Ayşe Bayrakçeken
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.12.2022; Hindawi Limited
• Subjects: Aerogels; Analytical methods; Black carbon; Boron; Carbon; Carbon black; catalyst; Catalysts; Catalytic activity; Chemical reactions; Durability; Electrocatalysts; Electrochemistry; Electron microscopes; Formic acid; formic acid oxidation; Fuel cells; Fuel technology; Graphene; graphene aerogel; hybrid support; Hydrothermal treatment; Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry; Irradiation; Mass spectrometry; Mass spectroscopy; Methanol; methanol oxidation; Microwave radiation; Nanoparticles; Nanotechnology; Oxidation; Photoelectron spectroscopy; Photoelectrons; Platinum; Scanning electron microscopy; Spectroscopy
• ISSN: 0363-907X; 1099-114X
• DOI: 10.1002/er.8717

Summary Supported catalysts are generally used for electrochemical reactions in fuel cells. Due to their superior properties in these reactions, platinum nanoparticles are preferred over carbon‐structured support materials. Commercial carbon support material such as carbon black (Vulcan XC‐72) is widely used alone for the deposition of platinum particles on the surface. But this support material when used alone is easily affected from the operating conditions of methanol and formic acid oxidation resulting from chemical reaction. Graphene aerogels (GA) are the graphene‐based materials that are important discoveries in nanotechnology, recently. These materials are being investigated as support materials in fuel cell catalysts. In this study, carbon black was used together with GA and heteroatom‐doped GA, as support materials. Three different hybrid carbon (50:50) supported Pt nanoparticles, namely, Pt/GA‐C (carbon black and GA), Pt/NGA‐C (carbon black‐ and nitrogen‐doped GA), and Pt/BGA‐C (carbon black‐ and boron‐doped GA) were synthesized by using, first, the modified Hummers method, second, hydrothermal treatment for support materials, and microwave irradiation method for Pt nanoparticles formation on support materials. The hybrid supported catalysts were characterized using scanning electron microscope, energy dispersion spectroscopy, BET, X‐ray diffractometer, transmission electron microscope, Raman, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The catalysts analysis was studied using cyclic voltammetry, impedance, and short‐term durability. The Pt/BGA‐C catalyst showed the highest catalytic activity for both formic acid and methanol oxidation. Carbon black was used together with graphene aerogel (GA) and heteroatom‐doped GA, as support materials. Pt/GA‐C (carbon black and GA), Pt/NGA‐C (carbon black‐ and nitrogen‐doped GA), Pt/BGA‐C (carbon black‐ and boron‐doped GA) were synthesized by using, first, the modified Hummers method, second, hydrothermal treatment of support materials, and microwave irradiation method for Pt nanoparticles formation on support materials. The catalysts analysis was studied using cyclic voltammetry, impedance and short‐term durability.