PtRu catalysts supported on heteropolyacid and chitosan functionalized carbon nanotubes for methanol oxidation reaction of fuel cells

A simple self-assembly approach has been developed to functionalize carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with chitosan (CS) and heteropolyacids (HPAs) of phosphomolybdic acid (H(3)PMo(12)O(40), HPMo) and phosphotungstic acid (H(3)PW(12)O(40), HPW). The non-covalent functionalization method, which introduces homogenous surface functional groups with no detrimental effect on graphene structures of CNTs, can be carried out at room temperature without the use of corrosive acids. The PtRu nanoparticles supported on HPAs-CS-CNTs have a uniform distribution and much smaller size as compared to those of the PtRu nanoparticles supported on conventional acid treated CNTs (PtRu/AO-CNTs). The onset and peak potentials for CO(ad) oxidation on PtRu/HPAs-CS-CNTs catalysts are more negative than those on PtRu/AO-CNTs, indicating that HPAs facilitate the electro-oxidation of CO. The PtRu/HPMo-CS-CNTs catalyst has a higher electrocatalytic activity for methanol oxidation and higher tolerance toward CO poisoning than PtRu/HPW-CS-CNTs. The better electrocatalytic enhancement of HPMo on the PtRu/HPAs-CS-CNTs catalyst is most likely related to the fact that molybdenum-containing HPAs such as HPMo have more labile terminal oxygen to provide additional active oxygen sites while accelerating the CO and methanol oxidation in a similar way to that of Ru in the PtRu binary alloy system.     

Platinum nanoparticles supported on nitrobenzene-functionalised graphene nanosheets as electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction in alkaline media

A systematic study on the electrocatalytic properties of Pt nanoparticles supported on nitrobenzene-modified graphene (Pt-NB/G) as catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in alkaline solution was performed. Graphene nanosheets were spontaneously grafted with nitrophenyl groups using 4-nitrobenzenediazonium salt. The electrocatalytic activity towards the ORR and stability of the prepared catalysts in 0.1 M KOH solution have been studied and compared with that of the commercial Pt/C catalyst. The results obtained show that the NB-modified graphene nanosheets can be good Pt catalyst support with high stability and excellent electrocatalytic properties. The specific activity of Pt-NB/G for O₂ reduction was 0.184 mA cm⁻², which is very close to that obtained for commercial 20 wt% Pt/C catalyst (0.214 mA cm⁻²) at 0.9 V vs. RHE. The Pt-NB/G hybrid material promotes a four-electron reduction of oxygen and can be used as a promising cathode catalyst in alkaline fuel cells.     

Graphene‐Supported Ultrafine Metal Nanoparticles Encapsulated by Mesoporous Silica: Robust Catalysts for Oxidation and Reduction Reactions

Graphene nanosheet‐supported ultrafine metal nanoparticles encapsulated by thin mesoporous SiO₂ layers were prepared and used as robust catalysts with high catalytic activity and excellent high‐temperature stability. The catalysts can be recycled and reused in many gas‐ and solution‐phase reactions, and their high catalytic activity can be fully recovered by high‐temperature regeneration, should they be deactivated by feedstock poisoning. In addition to the large surface area provided by the graphene support, the enhanced catalytic performance is also attributed to the mesoporous SiO₂ layers, which not only stabilize the ultrafine metal nanoparticles, but also prevent the aggregation of the graphene nanosheets. The synthetic strategy can be extended to other metals, such as Pd and Ru, for preparing robust catalysts for various reactions.     

Nanostructure PtRu/MWNTs as anode catalysts prepared in a vacuum for direct methanol oxidation

Platinum and ruthenium nanoparticles that are uniformly dispersed on multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) were synthesized by vacuum pyrolysis using Pt(acac)2 and Ru(acac)3 as the metal precursors. The resulting nanocomposites were characterized by transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The Pt, Pt45Ru55, and Ru nanoparticles had mean diameters of 3.0 +/- 0.6, 2.7 +/- 0.6, and 2.5 +/- 0.4 nm and the same mole number as their metal precursors at 500 degrees C. The electrocatalytic activity of the Pt/MWNTs and PtRu/MWNTs was investigated at room temperature by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. All of the electrochemical results showed that the PtRu/MWNTs exhibited a high level of catalytic activity for methanol oxidation as a result of the large surface area of the supporting carbon nanotubes and the wide dispersion of the Pt and Ru nanoparticles. Compared with the Pt/MWNTs, the onset potential for methanol oxidation of the PtRu/MWNTs was significantly lower, and the ratio of the forward anodic peak current to the reverse anodic peak current during methanol oxidation was somewhat higher. The Pt45Ru55/MWNTs displayed the best electrocatalytic activity of all of the carbon-nanotube-supported Pt and PtRu catalysts.     

一步法制备纳米铂/石墨烯及电催化甲醇的交流阻抗和扩散系数测定

采用绿色还原剂抗坏血酸,一步法制备纳米铂/石墨烯。对其进行X射线衍射(XRD)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、透射电子显微镜(TEM)形貌结构表征,铂纳米粒子均匀分散于纳米石墨烯片层褶皱间,有效减少了团聚现象。运用循环伏安法(CV)和计时电流法(CA)研究纳米铂/石墨烯对甲醇电催化氧化活性和稳定性,通过交流阻抗(EIS)定量测定,发现铂/石墨烯比铂具有更优异的电荷传输性能,电荷转移阻抗下降了34.8%。计时电量法(CC)测定得到甲醇在铂/石墨烯电极的表面扩散系数为1.42×10~(-9) cm~2·s~(-1)。与铂纳米粒子相比,纳米铂/石墨烯对甲醇电催化氧化具有更高的活性和稳定性,显著提高电极催化活性表面积和电荷传输及转移性能。     

Preparation and electrochemical performance for methanol oxidation of pt/graphene nanocomposites

The composites of graphene nanosheets decorated by Pt nano clusters have been prepared via reduction of graphite oxide and H₂PtCl₆ in one pot. Electrochemical experiments show that the composites have superior catalytic performance toward methanol oxidation indicating the graphene may have a splendid future as catalysts carrier in electrocatalysis and fuel cell.     

Physical and electrochemical characterizations of microwave-assisted polyol preparation of carbon-supported PtRu nanoparticles

PtRu nanoparticles supported on Vulcan XC-72 carbon and carbon nanotubes were prepared by a microwave-assisted polyol process. The catalysts were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The PtRu nanoparticles, which were uniformly dispersed on carbon, were 2-6 nm in diameter. All PtRu/C catalysts prepared as such displayed the characteristic diffraction peaks of a Pt face-centered cubic structure, excepting that the 2theta values were shifted to slightly higher values. XPS analysis revealed that the catalysts contained mostly Pt(0) and Ru(0), with traces of Pt(II), Pt(IV), and Ru(IV). The electro-oxidation of methanol was studied by cyclic voltammetry, linear sweep voltammetry, and chronoamperometry. It was found that both PtRu/C catalysts had high and more durable electrocatalytic activities for methanol oxidation than a comparative Pt/C catalyst. Preliminary data from a direct methanol fuel cell single stack test cell using the Vulcan-carbon-supported PtRu alloy as the anode catalyst showed high power density.     

Enhanced photo-electrocatalytic performance of Pt/RGO/TiO2 on carbon fiber towards methanol oxidation in alkaline media

In the present work, a novel electrode composed of TiO₂, reduced graphene oxide (RGO) and Pt nanoparticles on carbon fiber (CF), denoted as Pt/RGO/TiO₂/CF, has been fabricated successfully and employed as a photo-electrocatalyst for methanol oxidation in alkaline media. The spherical TiO₂ nanoparticles are loaded on CF surface by an in situ method and wrapped by the gauze-like RGO. Meanwhile, the RGO effectively extends the absorption edge to visible light region based on the UV–vis diffuse reflectance absorption spectra (DRS) and promotes the good dispersion of Pt nanoparticles electro-deposited on the surface of RGO-wrapped TiO₂. The as-prepared Pt/RGO/TiO₂/CF electrode shows enhanced electrocatalytic activity and stability compared with Pt/TiO₂/CF and Pt/CF electrodes both with and without light irradiation. The RGO plays an important role for the enhancement of electrocatalytic and photo-electrocatalytic performance. Moreover, Pt/RGO/TiO₂/CF presents a higher photo-electrocatalytic activity for methanol oxidation with light irradiation than that without light irradiation due to the synergistic effect among them.     

Synthesis, characterization, and electrocatalytic activity of PtPb nanoparticles prepared by two synthetic approaches

Intermetallic PtPb nanoparticles have been synthesized by two solution-phase reduction methods. In the first (PtPb-B), Pt and Pb salts were reduced by sodium borohydride in methanol at room temperature. In the second (PtPb-N), metal-organic Pt and Pb precursors were reduced by sodium naphthalide in diglyme at 135 degrees C. Both methods produced small agglomerated nanoparticles of the ordered intermetallic PtPb (mean crystal domain size <15 nm) which were characterized by pXRD, SEM, UHV-STEM, BET, EDX, and electron diffraction. The electrocatalytic activity of PtPb nanoparticles produced by both methods toward formic acid and methanol oxidation was investigated and compared to Pt and PtRu. Both PtPb-B and PtPb-N nanoparticles exhibited enhanced electrocatalytic activity compared to commercially available Pt black and PtRu nanoparticles. For formic acid oxidation, the PtPb nanoparticles exhibited considerably lower onset potentials and higher current densities than Pt or PtRu. For methanol oxidation, the PtPb nanoparticles had onset potentials slightly positive of PtRu but exhibited higher current densities at potentials about 100 mV positive of onset. The general applicability of these methods for the synthesis of nanoparticles of ordered intermetallic phases is discussed.     

Graphene supported electrocatalysts for methanol oxidation

Graphene nanosheet was prepared by modified Hummer’s chemical method and utilized as a catalyst support of PtRu nanoparticles for the electro-oxidation of methanol. Home-made graphene nanosheet was clearly characterized by Raman spectroscopy and we applied colloidal method to synthesize with high metal content of 80 wt.% Pt–Ru catalyst, which is extensively clarified by HR-TEM and XRD analysis. 80 wt.% Pt–Ru/graphene nanosheet catalyst showed superior electrochemical activity toward methanol oxidation compared to Pt–Ru/Vulcan XC-72R. It is due to the significant increase of electrochemical active surface area for better catalyst utilization.     

Enhanced Electrocatalytic Activity of Dual Template Based Pt/Cu‐zeolite A/Graphene for Methanol Electrooxidation

A novel Pt/Cu‐zeolite A/graphene based electrocatalyst was successfully prepared by chemical reduction method for methanol electrooxidation. Graphite oxide and Cu functionalized zeolite A were simultaneously reduced by NaBH₄ to prepare Cu‐zeolite A/graphene support which was used to deposit Pt nanoparticles. The nanostructure and composition of as‐prepared Pt/Cu‐zeolite A/graphene composites were characterized by X‐ray diffractometer, X‐ray fluorescence, Fourier transform infrared spectrometer and scanning electron microscopy. The electrocatalytic properties of Pt/Cu‐zeolite A/graphene modified electrode for methanol oxidation were investigated by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry in 0.10 mol/L H₂SO₄ + 0.50 mol/L CH₃OH solution. Compared with Pt/zeolite A/graphene electrode and Pt/graphene electrode, Pt/Cu‐zeolite A/graphene based electrode exhibited obviously enhanced current and higher electrocatalytic activity for methanol electrooxidation. The increased electrocatalytic activity was attributed to the presence of zeolite A and reduced graphene oxide based dual template, which significantly increased the effective electrode surface and facilitated the diffusion of analytes into the electroactive catalyst.     

直接甲醇燃料电池阳极催化剂PtRu/MWCNTs的水热合成及其电催化行为

采用水热法合成了PtRu/MWCNTs阳极催化剂,并以循环伏安、线性扫描、计时电流和交流阻抗等电化学测试研究了其对甲醇的电催化氧化,结果表明,水热合成的PtRu/MWCNTs较之同样条件下合成的PtRu/Vu lcan XC-72有更好的对甲醇氧化的催化活性和更强的抗毒化能力。     

Technical electrodes catalyzed with PtRu on mesoporous ordered carbons for liquid direct methanol fuel cells

This paper presents the behavior of ordered mesoporous carbon (OMC)-supported catalysts as anodes for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC), fed with an aqueous methanol solution. OMC samples were prepared by the nanocasting method from a polymerized furan resin using mesoporous silica as a template. Pt and PtRu nanoparticles were supported on OMC with high dispersion, the particle size being 2.4 nm at PtRu loading of 15 wt.%. The resulting catalysts were analyzed using carbon monoxide stripping voltammetry, cyclic voltammetry, and chronoamperometry in three-electrode experiments and recording cell voltage vs. current density curves in practical DMFC. It was found that PtRu-catalyzed technical electrodes exhibited good activity towards methanol electrooxidation in half-cell experiments under fuel-cell-relevant conditions. Specifically, Pt₈₅Ru₁₅/OMC catalyst showed the highest catalytic enhancement compared to Pt/OMC for the steady-state electrooxidation of methanol at 60 °C and 0.5 V, by a factor of 22 in 2-M MeOH solution. DMFC single cells yielded an open-circuit voltage of 0.625 V at 60 °C. Polarization curves indicate that DMFC with OMC-supported Pt₈₅Ru₁₅ catalyst at the anode exhibited the best performance.     

高分散PtRu/C催化剂的制备及对甲醇及吸附态CO的电催化氧化

采用化学还原浸渍法在两种不同条件下制备炭载PtRu催化剂,通过XRD和TEM技术对催化剂的晶体结构及微观形貌进行了分析,运用循环伏安法、线性扫描法来检测不同条件下制备的催化剂对甲醇及吸附态CO(COad)电催化氧化活性的影响.结果表明,不同条件下制备的催化剂Pt和Ru形成合金的程度不同,Pt-Ru合金原子的颗粒在载体炭上的粒径大小和分布不同,导致催化剂对甲醇及COad的电氧化催化活性不同.其中以甲醛为还原剂在乙二醇体系中制备的催化剂PtRu/C-2能形成较好的合金状态,粒径小,分布均匀,对甲醇及COad的氧化具有较高的电催化活性.     

Graphene nanoplatelets supported metal nanoparticles for electrochemical oxidation of hydrazine

Graphene nanoplatelets have been applied as the support to electrodeposit monometallic Au and Pd nanoparticles as well as bimetallic Au–Pd nanoparticles. These nanoparticles have been characterized with scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction spectroscopy, and electrochemical techniques. They are further utilized as the catalysts for electrochemical oxidation of hydrazine. The oxidation peak potential is − 0.35 and 0.53 V (vs. SCE) when monometallic Pd and Au nanoparticle are used as the catalysts. When bimetallic nanoparticles are applied as the catalyst, their composition affects the peak potential and peak current for the oxidation of hydrazine. Higher oxidation current is achieved when bimetallic Au–Pd nanoparticles with an atomic ratio of 3:1 are deposited on graphene nanoplatelets. Metal nanoparticle-loaded graphene nanoplatelets are thus novel platforms for electrocatalytic, electroanalytical, environmental, and related applications.     

Nd_x作为助催化剂对PtRu/C电催化氧化甲醇活性的影响

采用沉积-还原法制备了PtRu-NdOx/C催化剂,借助TEM、EDS和XRD等测试手段对其进行了微结构和组成的表征.结果表明,催化剂中Pt与Ru以合金形式存在,而Nd的氧化物则以无定形形态存在.催化剂粒子的平均粒径在2nm左右,晶胞参数为0.3896nm,Nd氧化物的加入对PtRu合金的晶体结构影响不明显.采用循环伏安法和计时电流法,比较了PtRu-NdOx/C催化剂和PtRu/C催化剂对甲醇氧化的电催化活性,结果表明,加入Nd的氧化物作为助催化剂能明显提高PtRu/C催化剂对甲醇氧化的电催化性能.     

促进型PtMoSi/C催化剂的制备、表征及电催化活性

采用甲醛还原、H2还原、肼还原三种方法制备了添加硅钼酸的PtMoSi/C阳极催化剂, 并用XRD、XPS和TEM技术对催化剂进行了表征. XRD表明Pt粒子呈立方面心晶态结构, TEM显示PtMoSi/C催化剂粒径小(3−4 nm), 分布窄, 分散性好. XPS分析可知Pt主要以0价, Mo主要以6价, Si主要以4价形态存在于催化剂中. 同时通过循环伏安法和线性扫描法考察了制备方法和添加硅钼酸对催化剂电化学活性的影响. 结果表明, 甲醛还原法制备的PtMoSi/C催化剂(Pt、Mo的原子比为3:1)对甲醇氧化的电化学性能和抗中毒性能优于自制的PtRu/C和E-TEK PtRu/C催化剂, 可能是因为添加硅钼酸可以使活性组分的分散度提高, 从而提高了催化剂的活性和抗毒性能.     

NdOx作为助催化剂对PtRu/C电催化氧化甲醇活性的影响

采用沉积-还原法制备了PtRu-NdOx/C催化剂, 借助TEM、EDS和XRD等测试手段对其进行了微结构和组成的表征. 结果表明, 催化剂中Pt与Ru以合金形式存在, 而Nd的氧化物则以无定形形态存在. 催化剂粒子的平均粒径在2 nm左右, 晶胞参数为0.3896 nm, Nd氧化物的加入对PtRu合金的晶体结构影响不明显. 采用循环伏安法和计时电流法, 比较了PtRu-NdOx/C催化剂和PtRu /C催化剂对甲醇氧化的电催化活性, 结果表明, 加入Nd的氧化物作为助催化剂能明显提高PtRu /C催化剂对甲醇氧化的电催化性能.     

Graphene‐Fe3O4 as a magnetic solid‐phase extraction sorbent coupled to capillary electrophoresis for the determination of sulfonamides in milk

Graphene‐Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were prepared using one‐step solvothermal method and characterized by X‐ray diffraction, FTIR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and vibrating sample magnetometry. The results demonstrated that Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were homogeneously anchored on graphene nanosheets. The as‐synthesized graphene‐Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were employed as sorbent for magnetic solid‐phase extraction of sulfonamides in milk prior to capillary electrophoresis analysis. The optimal capillary electrophoresis conditions were as follows: 60 mmol/L Na₂HPO₄ containing 2 mmol/L ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid disodium salt and 24% v/v methanol as running buffer, separation voltage of 14 kV, and detection wavelength of 270 nm. The parameters affecting extraction efficiency including desorption solution, the amount of graphene‐Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles, extraction time, and sample pH were investigated in detail. Under the optimal conditions, good linearity (5–200 μg/L) with correlation coefficients ≥0.9910 was obtained. The limits of detection were 0.89–2.31 μg/L. The relative standard deviations for intraday and interday analyses were 4.9–8.5 and 4.0–9.0%, respectively. The proposed method was successfully applied to the analysis of sulfonamides in milk samples with recoveries ranging from 62.7 to 104.8% and relative standard deviations less than 10.2%.     

Electrochemical behavior of α-Keggin-type nanoparticles,Co(en)<Subscript>3</Subscript>(PMo<Subscript>12</Subscript>O<Subscript>40</Subscript>), in polyethylene glycol

The electrochemical behavior of α-Keggin-type nanoparticles, Co(en)₃(PMo₁₂O₄₀) (abbreviated as PMo₁₂-Co), have been studied in poly(ethylene glycol) for four different molecular weights (PEG, average MW 400, 600, 1000, and 2000 g mol^–1) and containing LiClO₄ (O/Li=100/1) supporting electrolyte. The diffusion coefficients of the PMo₁₂-Co nanoparticles were determined using a microelectrode by chronoamperometry for PEG of different molecular weights that were used to describe the diffusion behavior of PMo₁₂-Co nanoparticles in different phase states. Moreover, the conductivity of the composite system increases upon addition of PMo₁₂-Co nanoparticles, which was measured by an a.c. impedance technique. FT-IR spectra and DSC were used to follow the interactions of PEG-LiClO₄-PMo₁₂-Co, and well described the reason that the PMo₁₂-Co nanoparticles could promote the conductivity of the PEG-LiClO₄-PMo₁₂-Co system. Electronic Publication