electrocatalytic oxidation of ethanol on pt-co structure designed bysilica template as a morphology-controlling agent

Abstract: among various types of fuel cells, direct methanol fuel cells (dmfcs) have attracted much attentions due to their interesting properties such as low operating temperature, high power density and relatively quick start-up. pt is recognized as the best monometallic electrocatalysts for methanol electrooxidation. however scarcity, too pricey, and serious poisoning of pt make demands for improvement of pt efficiency [1]. in this regard, incorporation of a second element and examination of the morphology (size and shape of pt) are identified as the best approaches. the synthesis of nanostructures through templating method presents porous structure with high surface area which will undoubtedly have highly beneficial for catalyzing of methanol oxidation reaction (mor). since the exploration of porous silica materials and their effects on the production of mesoporous structures with monotonous distribution, and high surface area, more attentions have been devoted to the using of the mesoporous silica as the sacrificial templates. the synthesis of many nanostructures with different morphology such as nanowires, nanotubes, and so on have been reported [2]. besides, bimetallic pt-based catalysts possess good tolerance to co poisoning as compared with pure pt. as the excellent effect of co on electrocatalytic performance of pt has been discovered, the using of co as the contributor transition metal not only promotes the mor activity but also decreases high cost of anode materials [3]. considering the superb effects of composition and morphology, we prepared a templated structure of pt-co supported on ni foam for electrocatalytic oxidation of methanol in alkaline media. the electrochemical studies including cyclic voltammetry (cv), chronoamperometry (ca), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (eis) confirmed the utility of templating method and elemental composition for electrocatalytic activity towards mor.