DETERMINATION OF ETHANOL AND CARBON MONOXIDE ELECTROOXIDATION ACTIVITIES OF PtRuC/CeO2 COMPOSITE ELECTRO-CATALYSTS

In this study, cerium oxide nano-rods were synthesized by hydrothermal method in order to develop electrocatalysts for direct ethanol fuel cells. carbon monoxide (co) and ethanol electro-oxidation activities of ptruc catalyst supported onto cerium oxide prepared by hydrothermal method (ceo2(ht)) were compared with ptruc supported onto cerium oxide prepared by direct calcination (ceo2(k)) of ammonium cerium nitrate ((nh4)2[ce(no3)6]). after surface analysis of (ceo2(ht)) by scanning electron microscopy, non-uniform nanorods with approximately 1 m length and 200nm radius were observed. on the other hand, cerium oxide prepared by calcination has a particle structure in 400nm size approximately. according to results obtained by energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, ceo2(ht) has substantially higher oxygen stoichiometry than ceo2 (k). after electrochemical analysis, it was seen that %10ptruc/(ceo2(ht)) has the highest co and ethanol electrooxidation activity.