Probing the formation mechanism and chemical states of carbon-supported Pt-Ru nanoparticles by in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy

The understanding of the formation mechanism of nanoparticles is essential for the successful particle design and scaling-up process. This paper reports findings of an X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) investigation, comprised of X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) regions, to understand the mechanism of the carbon-supported Pt-Ru nanoparticles (NPs) formation process. We have utilized Watanabe's colloidal reduction method to synthesize Pt-Ru/C NPs. We slightly modified the Watanabe method by introducing a mixing and heat treatment step of Pt and Ru oxidic species at 100 degrees C for 8 h with a view to enhance the mixing efficiency of the precursor species, thereby one can achieve improved homogeneity and atomic distribution in the resultant Pt-Ru/C NPs. During the reduction process, in situ XAS measurements allowed us to follow the evolution of Pt and Ru environments and their chemical states. The Pt LIII-edge XAS indicates that when H2PtCl6 is treated with NaHSO3, the platinum compound is found to be reduced to a Pt(II) form corresponding to the anionic complex [Pt(SO3)4]6-. Further oxidation of this anionic complex with hydrogen peroxide forms dispersed [Pt(OH)6]2- species. Analysis of Ru K-edge XAS results confirms the reduction of RuIIICl3 to [RuII(OH)4]2- species upon addition of NaHSO3. Addition of hydrogen peroxide to [RuII(OH)4]2- causes dehydrogenation and forms RuOx species. Mixing of [Pt(OH)6]2- and RuOx species and heat treatment at 100 degrees C for 8 h produced a colloidal sol containing both Pt and Ru metallic as well as ionic contributions. The reduction of this colloidal mixture at 300 degrees C in hydrogen atmosphere for 2 h forms Pt-Ru nanoparticles as indicated by the presence of Pt and Ru atoms in the first coordination shell. Determination of the alloying extent or atomic distribution of Pt and Ru atoms in the resulting Pt-Ru/C NPs reveals that the alloying extent of Ru (JRu) is greater than that of the alloying extent of Pt (JPt). The XAS results support the Pt-rich core and Ru-rich shell structure with a considerable amount of segregation in the Pt region and with less segregation in the Ru region for the obtained Pt-Ru/C NPs.     

Formation of Pt-Ru nanoparticles in ethylene glycol solution: an in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy study

The chemical state and formation mechanism of Pt-Ru nanoparticles (NPs) synthesized by using ethylene glycol (EG) as a reducing agent and their stability have been examined by in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) at the Pt LIII and Ru K edges. It appears that the reduction of Pt(IV) and Ru(III) precursor salts by EG is not a straightforward reaction but involves different intermediate steps. The pH control of the reaction mixture containing Pt(IV) and Ru(III) precursor salts in EG to 11 led to the reduction of Pt(IV) to Pt(II) corresponding to [PtCl4](2-) whereas Ru(III)Cl3 is changed to the [Ru(OH)6](3-) species. Refluxing the mixture containing [PtCl4](2-) and [Ru(OH)6](3-) species at 160 degrees C for 0.5 h produces Pt-Ru NPs as indicated by the presence of Pt and Ru in the first coordination shell of the respective metals. No change in XAS structural parameters is found when the reaction time is further increased, indicating that the Pt-Ru NPs formed are extremely stable and less prone to aggregation. XAS structural parameters suggest a Pt-rich core and a Ru-rich shell structure for the final Pt-Ru NPs. Due to the inherent advantages of the EG reduction method, the atomic distribution and alloying extent of Pt and Ru in the Pt-Ru NPs synthesized by the EG method are higher than those of the Pt-Ru/C NPs synthesized by a modified Watanabe method.     

Activation of nanoparticle Pt-Ru fuel cell catalysts by heat treatment: a 195Pt NMR and electrochemical study

(195)Pt NMR spectroscopic and electrochemical measurements were carried out on commercial Pt-Ru alloy nanoparticle samples to investigate the effect of high-temperature annealing in different vacuum/gas-phase environments. Samples annealed at 220 degrees C in Ar gas, or in a vacuum, did not show any demonstrable change in catalytic activity vs electrochemically reduced, room-temperature samples. In contrast, annealing at 220 degrees C in H(2) gas led to a 3-fold increase in reactivity toward methanol oxidation (per surface site). NMR experiments show that annealing at 220 degrees C (in both Ar and H(2)) leads to a slight reduction in the Fermi level local density of states (E(F)-LDOS) at the Pt sites, which we attribute to surface enrichment of Ru. This electronic effect alone, however, appears to be too small to account for the increase in the catalytic activity observed for the H-treated catalyst. By comparing the electrochemical and NMR data of the H- and Ar-treated samples, we conclude that annealing at 220 degrees C in the hydrogen atmosphere reduces surface Ru oxides into metallic Ru, and consequently, the presence of metallic Ru and its enrichment on the surface are essential for the enhanced catalytic activity. In contrast, heat treatment at 600 degrees C in both vacuum and argon atmosphere increases the particle size and reduces the amount of platinum on the nanoparticle surface, thereby increasing the surface Ru content beyond the optimum surface composition values. This causes a large reduction in catalytic activity. Our results suggest that optimizing the amount of surface Ru by heat treatment at temperatures near 200 degrees C, in a hydrogen atmosphere, can be utilized to produce Pt-Ru alloy nanoparticles with high methanol oxidation activity. Finally, our NMR and electrochemical data, taken together with the lattice parameter measurements, lead to a novel model of Pt-Ru alloy nanoparticles having a Ru-rich core and a Pt-Ru alloy overlayer.     

Nanostructure and surface composition of Pt and Ru binary catalysts on polyaniline-functionalized carbon nanotubes

Pt-Ru binary catalysts were prepared on a polyaniline-functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotube (PANi/MWCNT). PANi/MWCNT composites were synthesized by the polymerization of aniline in the presence of a carbon nanotube suspension using FeSO(4) and (NH(4))(2)S(2)O(8) as the oxidants. The Pt-Ru/PANi/MWCNT catalysts were formed by the chemical reduction of H(2)PtCl(6) and RuCl(3) using NaBH(4) as the reducing agent. The binary component catalyst is sharply distributed, with particle sizes ranging from 2.0 to 4.0 nm, and the Pt and Ru distributions are homogeneous when supported on PANi/MWCNT. In comparison, the binary catalyst supported on bare MWCNT displayed a Pt-rich core and a Ru-rich shell nanostructure. The surface composition deduced from CO stripping potentials confirms that the Ru surface content (χ(Ru)) is approximately 50% for the Pt-Ru alloy on PANi/MWCNT, and the catalyst on bare MWCNT shows nearly 70% Ru on the surface. Pt-Ru binary catalysts supported on PANi/MWCNT have higher activity, a higher Pt utilization efficiency, and much better durability when compared to other catalyst supports on bare MWCNT or on Vulcan XC-72.     

Heat-induced alterations in the surface population of metal sites in bimetallic nanoparticles

The ability to alter the surface population of metal sites in bimetallic nanoparticles (NPs) is of great interest in the context of heterogeneous catalysis. Here, we report findings of surface alterations of Pt and Ru metallic sites in bimetallic carbon-supported (PtRu/C) NPs that were induced by employing a controlled thermal-treatment strategy. The thermal-treatment procedure was designed in such a way that the particle size of the initial NPs was not altered and only the surface population of Pt and Ru was changed, thus allowing us to deduce structural information independent of particle-size effects. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) was utilized to deduce the structural parameters that can provide information on atomic distribution and/or extent of alloying as well as the surface population of Pt and Ru in PtRu/C NPs. The PtRu/C catalyst sample was obtained from Johnson Matthey, and first the as-received catalyst was reduced in 2 % H2 and 98 % Ar gas mixture at 300 degrees C for 4 h (PtRu/C as-reduced). Later this sample was subjected to thermal treatment in either oxygen (PtRu/C-O2-300) or hydrogen (PtRu/C-H2-350). The XAS results reveal that when the as-reduced PtRu/C catalyst was exposed to the O2 thermal-treatment strategy, a considerable amount of Ru was moved to the catalyst surface. In contrast, the H2 thermal-treatment strategy led to a higher population of Pt on the PtRu/C surface. Characterization of the heat-treated PtRu/C samples by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy reveals that there is no significant change in the particle size of thermally treated samples when compared to the as-received PtRu/C sample. The electrochemical properties of the as-reduced and heat-treated PtRu/C catalyst samples were confirmed by cyclic voltammetry, CO-adsorption stripping voltammetry, and linear sweep voltammetry. Both XAS and electrochemical investigations concluded that the PtRu/C-H2-350 sample exhibits significant enhancement in reactivity toward methanol oxidation as a result of the increased surface population of the Pt when compared to the PtRu/C-O2-300 and PtRu/C as-reduced samples.     

In-situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy study of Pt and Ru chemistry during methanol electrooxidation

Methanol electrooxidation in a 0.5 M sulfuric acid electrolyte containing 1.0 M CH3OH was studied on 30% Pt/carbon and 30% PtRu/carbon (Pt/Ru = 1:1) catalysts using X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). Absorption by Pt and Ru was measured at constant photon energy in the near edge region during linear potential sweeps of 10-50 mV/s between 0.01 and 1.36 V vs rhe. The absorption results were used to follow Pt and Ru oxidation and reduction under transient conditions as well as to monitor Ru dissolution. Both catalysts exhibited higher activity for methanol oxidation at high potential following multiple potential cycles. Correlation of XAS data with the potential sweeps indicates that Pt catalysts lose activity at high potentials due to Pt oxidation. The addition of Ru to Pt accelerates the rate of methanol oxidation at all potentials. Ru is more readily oxidized than Pt, but unlike Pt, its oxidation does not result in a decrease in catalytic activity. PtRu/carbon catalysts underwent significant changes during potential cycling due to Ru loss. Similar current density vs potential results were obtained using the same PtRu/carbon catalyst at the same loading in a membrane electrode assembly half cell with only a Nafion (DuPont) solid electrolyte. The results are interpreted in terms of a bifunctional catalyst mechanism in which Pt surface sites serve to chemisorb and dissociate methanol to protons and carbon monoxide, while Ru surface sites activate water and accelerate the oxidation of the chemisorbed CO intermediate. PtRu/carbon catalysts maintain their activity at very high potentials, which is attributed to the ability of the added Ru to keep Pt present in a reduced state, a necessary requirement for methanol chemisorption and dissociation.     

Promotion of the electrochemical activity of a bimetallic platinum-ruthenium catalyst by oxidation-induced segregation

An alloy catalyst of 15 wt % Pt(50)Ru(50)/C was prepared by the method of incipient wetness impregnation and activated by hydrogen reduction at 620 K. Physical characterization of the freshly reduced catalyst indicated that bimetallic crystallites, Pt rich in the shell and Ru rich in the core, were finely dispersed in a diameter of dPtRu approximately 2 nm on carbon support. The reduced catalyst was subsequently modified by oxidization in air. On increasing the temperature of oxidation (T(o)), atoms of Ru in the core were found segregated to the surface of bimetallic crystallites and oxidized to amorphous RuO(2). Crystalline RuO(2) (RucO(2)) was formed on extensive segregation at To > 520 K. Catalytic activity of the alloy catalyst for electro-oxidation of methanol was examined by cyclic voltammetry. Electrochemical activity of the Pt-Ru/C catalyst was found to be significantly enhanced by oxidation treatments. The enhancement was, therefore, attributed to the segregation of Ru and the formation of RucO(2). Extensive oxidation treatment at elevated temperatures of To > 600 K, however, caused the deactivation of the electroactivity. The deactivation should be the result of excessive oxidation of the carbon support.     

Investigation of formation mechanism of Pt(111) nanoparticle layers grown on Ru(0001) core

A layer growth mechanism of Pt-Ru bimetallic nanoparticles has been proposed with supporting experiments and calculations by density functional theory (DFT). Elongated Pt atoms on Ru nanoparticles were synthesized via a two-step route, and their structural details were obtained by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Because of the intrinsic mismatch of lattice spacing between the two elements, such an unusual growth was analyzed with the DFT simulations to explore the mystery of the growth mechanism. Pt atoms would rearrange the packing order and adjust the Pt-Pt atomic distance, and so do the Ru nanoparticles in order to achieve the optimal energy status of the bimetallic system. The resultant Pt(111) layers could stack on top of the Ru(0001) core more tightly by fitting the pockets left between the Ru atoms. The findings give insight into the formation mechanism of the nanosized Pt-Ru bimetallic catalyst and pave the way for designing bimetallic catalysts with tailored properties at the atomic level.     

三组Pt- Ru/C催化剂前驱体对其性能的影响

分别以三组不同的Pt和Ru化合物为前驱体, 采用热还原法制备了Pt-Ru/C催化剂, 比较不同前驱体对催化剂性能的影响；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. 结果表明以H₂PtCl₆+RuCl₃和自制(NH₄)₂PtCl₆+Ru(OH)₃为前驱体的催化剂Pt和Ru没有完全形成合金状态, 在Pt(111)和Pt(200)之间有Ru(101)存在；以Pt(NH₃)₂(NO₂)₂和自制含钌化合物为前驱体制备的催化剂未检测出Ru金属或其氧化物的衍射峰, Pt-Ru颗粒在载体上分散均匀, 粒径最小, 为3.7 nm. 利用玻碳电极测试了循环伏安、记时电流和阶跃电位曲线, 考核了上述催化剂对甲醇阳极催化氧化活性的影响；结果表明：以Pt(NH₃)₂(NO₂)₂和自制含钌化合物为前驱体制备的催化剂对甲醇的电催化氧化活性最高, 循环伏安曲线峰电流密度达11.5 mA•cm^-2.     

甲醇在欠电位沉积Ru修饰Pt电极上的催化氧化

采用欠电位沉积(upd)方法在Pt 表面沉积亚单层的Ru制备出upd-Ru/Pt 电极. 通过欠电位沉积前后电极在0.5 mol·L-1 H2SO4溶液中循环伏安图-152 - 128 mV(vs Ag/AgCl)电位范围内对氢区的数值积分确定Pt表面Ru 的覆盖度. 用电化学方法测试了甲醇在upd-Ru/Pt电极上的催化氧化, 并讨论分析了欠电位沉积电位和Ru的表面覆盖度对甲醇氧化的影响. 结果表明, Ru能够欠电位沉积到Pt表面. Pt表面欠电位沉积少量的Ru 即能大大促进甲醇的氧化.只要控制upd-Ru的沉积量, upd-Ru原子就能大大促进甲醇氧化而与沉积电位无关. Ru原子对甲醇氧化的促进作用与Ru和Pt是否形成合金无关, 而取决于Ru 在Pt表面的百分含量.     

Pt-Ru/C催化剂在甲醇电氧化过程中的组成和结构变化

本文研究了Pt-Ru/C催化剂在甲醇电催化氧化过程中组成和结构的变化。结果表明:在扫描初期,Pt-Ru催化剂的表面处于富Ru状态,Pt-Ru催化剂显示出良好的协同效应,峰电位较低,峰电流密度也较小。随着扫描圈数的增加(1~35圈),催化剂表面Ru原子逐渐溶解,Pt-Ru协同效应减弱,峰电位逐渐增大;同时,随着Ru的溶解,催化剂表面Pt原子含量的增加,催化剂对甲醇氧化的峰电流密度逐渐增大。继续增加扫描圈数(36~80圈),催化剂表面Ru原子含量趋于稳定,但Pt原子发生表面重组,粒子粒径增大,从而导致催化剂对甲醇电氧化性能下降。     

Electrocatalytic performance of fuel oxidation by Pt3Ti nanoparticles

A Pt-based electrocatalyst for direct fuel cells, Pt3Ti, has been prepared in the form of nanoparticles. Pt(1,5-cyclooctadiene)Cl2 and Ti(tetrahydrofuran)2Cl4 are reduced by sodium naphthalide in tetrahydrofuran to form atomically disordered Pt3Ti nanoparticles (FCC-type structure: Fm3m; a = 0.39 nm; particle size = 3 +/- 0.4 nm). These atomically disordered Pt3Ti nanoparticles are transformed to larger atomically ordered Pt3Ti nanoparticles (Cu3Au-type structure: Pm3m; a = 0.3898 nm; particle size = 37 +/- 23 nm) by annealing above 400 degrees C. Both atomically disordered and ordered Pt3Ti nanoparticles show lower onset potentials for the oxidation of formic acid and methanol than either pure Pt or Pt-Ru nanoparticles. Both atomically disordered and ordered Pt3Ti nanoparticles show a much lower affinity for CO adsorption than either pure Pt or Pt-Ru nanoparticles. Atomically ordered Pt3Ti nanoparticles show higher oxidation current densities for both formic acid and methanol than pure Pt, Pt-Ru, or atomically disordered Pt3Ti nanoparticles. Pt3Ti nanoparticles, in particular the atomically ordered materials, have promise as anode catalysts for direct fuel cells.     

Fe3O4修饰的Pt-Ru/C纳米催化剂的制备及其在无溶剂条件下邻氯硝基苯选择性加氢的催化性能

采用浸渍法制备了一系列Pt/Ru质量比不同的Fe₃O₄修饰的Pt-Ru/Fe₃O₄/C催化剂, 运用透射电镜(TEM)、能量弥散X射线谱(EDX)、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)、X射线粉末衍射(XRD)等手段对Pt-Ru/Fe₃O₄/C一系列催化剂进行了表征, 并考察了Pt/Ru质量比不同对催化剂Pt-Ru/Fe₃O₄/C在无溶剂条件下催化邻氯硝基苯(o-CNB)选择性加氢制备邻氯苯胺(o-CAN)催化性能的影响. 研究结果表明, 催化剂的催化活性和对目标产物的选择性跟活性组分Pt、Ru比例有关. 随着Pt/Ru比例的减小, 目标产物o-CAN的选择性有所升高, 然而反应物o-CNB的转化率有所下降. 当Pt/Ru的质量比为2时, o-CNB的转化率降为76.5%, 而目标产物o-CAN的选择性仍然为100%. 与此同时, 我们还对Pt-Ru/Fe₃O₄/C催化剂高的催化活性和目标产物的高选择性可能的原因进行了分析.     

Characterization of surface composition of platinum and ruthenium nanoalloys dispersed on active carbon

Supported samples of 8 wt % monometallic Pt/C and Ru/C, as well as 12 wt % bimetallic Pt50Ru50/C, were prepared by the method of incipient wetness impregnation. Impregnated samples were subsequently reduced by hydrogen and then oxidized in air at different To temperatures. TEM and XRD examinations indicated that metal crystallites were finely dispersed with a diameter of dM < or = 3 nm on the reduced samples. Reductive behavior of the oxidized samples by hydrogen was pursued with the technique of temperature programmed reduction (TPR). The temperature of the reduction peaks (Tr) noticed in the TPR profiles varied with the metal composition of catalysts and To temperature of oxidation. At To = 300 K, oxidation was confined to the surface layer of metallic crystallites. As a result, Pts O (with a peak at Tr = 230 K) or PtsO2 (Tr = 250 K) was formed on monometallic Pt/C while RusO2 (Tr approximately 380 K) was formed on Ru/C. A reductive peak with Tr = 250 K was found from the bimetallic sample from Pt50Ru50/C oxidized at To = 300 K. The reductive peak suggests bimetallic crystallites were dispersed with cherry type structure, with Pt exposed at the surface and Ru in the core. On increasing the To temperature of oxidation treatment to 370 K and higher, Tr peaks between 270 and 350 K were gradually noticed on the oxidized bimetallic sample. Peaks in this Tr region are assigned to reduction of the oxidized alloy surface (AsO). Evidently, a segregation of Ru to the surface of the bimetallic crystallites is indicated upon oxidation at To > 380 K.     

Evidence of Nonelectrochemical Shift Reaction on a CO-Tolerant High-Entropy State Pt-Ru Anode Catalyst for Reliable and Efficient Residential Fuel Cell Systems

A randomly mixed monodispersed nanosized Pt-Ru catalyst, an ultimate catalyst for CO oxidation reaction, was prepared by the rapid quenching method. The mechanism of CO oxidation reaction on the Pt-Ru anode catalyst was elucidated by investigating the relation between the rate of CO oxidation reaction and the current density. The rate of CO oxidation reaction increased with an increase in unoccupied sites kinetically formed by hydrogen oxidation reaction, and the rate was independent of anode potential. Results of extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy showed the combination of N(Pt-Ru)/(N(Pt-Ru) + N(Pt-Pt)) ? M(Ru)/(M(Pt) + M(Ru)) and N(Ru-Pt)/(N(Ru-Pt) + N(Ru-Ru)) ? M(Pt)/(M(Ru) + M(Pt)), where N(Pt-Ru)(N(Ru-Pt)), N(Pt-Pt)(N(Ru-Ru)), M(Pt), and M(Ru) are the coordination numbers from Pt(Ru) to Ru(Pt) and Pt (Ru) to Pt (Ru) and the molar ratios of Pt and Ru, respectively. This indicates that Pt and Ru were mixed with a completely random distribution. A high-entropy state of dispersion of Pt and Ru could be maintained by rapid quenching from a high temperature. It is concluded that a nonelectrochemical shift reaction on a randomly mixed Pt-Ru catalyst is important to enhance the efficiency of residential fuel cell systems under operation conditions.     

Electrocatalytic oxidation of ethylene glycol on Pt and Pt-Ru nanoparticles modified multi-walled carbon nanotubes

The synthesis and characterization of catalysts based on nanomaterials, supported on multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNT) for ethylene glycol (EG) oxidation is investigated. Platinum (Pt) and platinum-ruthenium (Pt-Ru) nanoparticles are deposited on surface-oxidized multi-walled carbon nanotubes [Pt/CNT; Pt-Ru/CNT] by the aqueous solution reduction of the corresponding metal salts with glycerol. The electrocatalytic properties of the modified electrodes for oxidation of ethylene glycol in acidic solution have been studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV), and excellent activity is observed. This may be attributed to the small particle size of the metal nanoparticles, the efficacy of carbon nanotubes acting as good catalyst support and uniform dispersion of nanoparticles on CNT surfaces. The nature of the resulting nanoparticles decorated multiwalled carbon nanotubes are characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopic (TEM) analysis. The cyclic voltammetry response indicates that Pt-Ru/CNT catalyst displays a higher performance than Pt/CNT, which may be due to the efficiency of the nature of Ru species in Pt-Ru systems. The fabricated Pt and Pt-Ru nanoparticles decorated CNT electrodes shows better catalytic performance towards ethylene glycol oxidation than the corresponding nanoparticles decorated carbon electrodes, demonstrating that it is more promising for use in fuel cells.     

Bifunctional electrocatalysis in pt-ru nanoparticle systems

Pt-Ru alloys are prominent electrocatalysts in fuel cell anodes as they feature a very high activity for the oxidation of reformate and methanol. The improved CO tolerance of these alloys has been discussed in relation to the so-called ligand and bifunctional mechanisms. Although these effects have been known for many years, they are still not completely understood. A new approach that bridges the gap between single crystals and practical catalysts is presented in this paper. Nanoparticulate model systems attached to an oxidized glassy carbon electrode were prepared by combining both ligand-stabilized and spontaneously deposited Pt and Ru nanoparticles. These electrodes showed very different voltammetric responses for CO and methanol oxidation. The cyclic voltammograms were deconvoluted into contributions attributed to Pt, Ru, and Pt-Ru contact regions to quantify the contribution of the latter to the bifunctional mechanism. Scanning transmission electron microscopy confirmed the proximity of Pt and Ru nanoparticles in the different samples.     

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.     

Platinum submonolayer-monolayer electrocatalysis: An electrochemical and X-ray absorption spectroscopy study

A new Pt monolayer electrocatalyst concept is described and the results of electrochemical and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) studies are presented. Two new methods that facilitate the application of this concept in obtaining ultra-low-Pt-content electrocatalysts have been developed. One is the electroless (spontaneous) deposition of a Pt submonolayer on Ru nanoparticles, and the other is a deposition of a Pt monolayer on Pd nanoparticles by redox displacement of a Cu adlayer. The Pt submonolayer on Ru (PtRu₂₀) electrocatalyst demonstrated higher CO tolerance than commercial catalysts under conditions of rotating disk experiments. The long-term stability test showed no loss in performance over 870 h using a fuel cell operating under real conditions, even though the Pt loading was approximately 10% of that of the standard Pt loading. In situ XAS indicated an increase in d-band vacancy of deposited Pt, which may facilitate partly the reduced susceptibility to CO poisoning for this catalyst. The kinetics of O₂ reduction on a Pt monolayer on Pd nanoparticles showed a small enhancement in comparison with that from a Pt nanoparticle electrocatalyst. The increase in catalytic activity is partly attributed to decreased formation of PtOH, as shown by XAS experiments.     

Synthesis of PtRu nanoparticles from the hydrosilylation reaction and application as catalyst for direct methanol fuel cell

Nanosized Pt, PtRu, and Ru particles were prepared by a novel process, the hydrosilylation reaction. The hydrosilylation reaction is an effective method of preparation not only for Pt particles but also for other metal colloids, such as Ru. Vulcan XC-72 was selected as catalyst support for Pt, PtRu, and Ru colloids, and TEM investigations showed nanoscale particles and narrow size distribution for both supported and unsupported metals. All Pt and Pt-rich catalysts showed the X-ray diffraction pattern of a face-centered cubic (fcc) crystal structure, whereas the Ru and Ru-rich alloys were more typical of a hexagonal close-packed (hcp) structure. As evidenced by XPS, most Pt and Ru atoms in the nanoparticles were zerovalent, except a trace of oxidation-state metals. The electrooxidation of liquid methanol on these catalysts was investigated at room temperature by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. The results concluded that some alloy catalysts showed higher catalytic activities and better CO tolerance than the Pt-only catalyst; Pt56Ru44/C have displayed the best electrocatalytic performance among all carbon-supported catalysts.