Preparation of MoO3/Pt electrodes by electrodeposition for a direct methanol fuel cell

MoO₃/Pt binary catalysts with various Mo/Pt ratios were prepared by an electrodeposition method for use as the anode in a direct methanol fuel cell. Pt was electrodeposited onto indium tin oxide (ITO) substrate, and then MoO₃ was electrodeposited from an Mo-peroxo electrolyte on the top of Pt with different deposition times. The crystallinity of synthesized films was analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), and the oxidation state of both the platinum and molybdenum were determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses. Scanning electron microscopy–energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDS) was employed to investigate the surface morphology and composition. The catalytic activity and stability for methanol oxidation were measured using cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry in a mixture of 0.5 M H₂SO₄ and 0.5 M CH₃OH aqueous solution. Electrocatalytic activity for CO oxidation was also evaluated in a 0.5-M H₂SO₄ solution. The addition of a proper amount of MoO₃ was found to significantly improve both the catalytic activity and stability for methanol oxidation.