Performance of Pt/C catalysts prepared by microwave-assisted polyol process for methanol electrooxidation

• Published in: Journal of power sources Vol. 195; no. 7; pp. 1799 - 1804
• Main Authors: Chu, Yuan-Yuan, Wang, Zhen-Bo, Gu, Da-Ming, Yin, Ge-Ping
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 02.04.2010; Elsevier
• Subjects: Anode catalyst; Applied sciences; Direct energy conversion and energy accumulation; Direct methanol fuel cell; Electrical engineering. Electrical power engineering; Electrical power engineering; Electrochemical conversion: primary and secondary batteries, fuel cells; Energy; Energy. Thermal use of fuels; Equipments for energy generation and conversion: thermal, electrical, mechanical energy, etc; Exact sciences and technology; Fuel cells; Methanol electrooxidation; Microwave-assisted polyol process; Pt/C catalyst; Microwave-assisted polyol process; Pt/C catalyst; Anode catalyst; Direct methanol fuel cell; Methanol electrooxidation; Performance evaluation; Carbon black; Anode; Nanoparticle; Alcohol fuel cells; Microwave heating; X ray diffraction; Supported catalyst; Cyclic voltammetry; Transmission electron microscopy; Energy dispersion; Oxidation; Polyol; Chronoamperometry; Electrochemical reaction; Catalyst activity; Methanol; Catalyst support
• ISSN: 0378-7753; 1873-2755
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jpowsour.2009.10.039

Pt nanoparticles catalysts supported on the Vulcan XC-72 carbon black with different mean sizes have been synthesized by microwave-assisted polyol process and characterized by energy dispersive analysis of X-ray (EDAX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results of physical examinations show that Pt nanoparticles have a narrow size distribution and are highly dispersed on the surface of carbon support, and Pt loading in Pt/C catalyst is the similar with the theoretical value. The results of cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry demonstrate that the Pt/C catalyst prepared by microwave-assisted polyol process at the pH value of about 12 exhibits the highest catalytic activity for methanol electrooxidation. The activity of Pt/C catalyst is also related to the microwave heating time, and the optimal heating time is 40 s in this work.