In situ chemical reductive growth of platinum nanoparticles on indium tin oxide surfaces and their electrochemical applications

Platinum nanoparticles directly attached to indium tin oxide (PtNP/ITO) were successfully fabricated by using an in situ chemical reductive growth method. In this method, PtNPs could be grown on the ITO surface via the one-step immersion into the growth solution containing PtCl4(2-) and ascorbic acid. The attached and grown PtNPs were spherical having an agglomerated nanostructure composed of small nanoclusters. From the morphological changes depending on the growth time, which were observed with an FE-SEM, PtNPs were found to be grown via the progressive nucleation mechanism. As the characteristics of the PtNP/ITO were those of a working electrode, it was found that the charge transfer resisivity was significantly lowered due to the grown PtNPs. Hence, for a typical redox system of [Fe(CN)6]3-/[Fe(CN)6]4-, the PtNP/ITO electrode exhibited the electrochemical responses similar to those of the bulk Pt electrode. Furthermore, it was clarified that the PtNP/ITO electrode had significant electrocatalytic properties for the oxygen reduction and methanol oxidation. The present PtNPs that had the agglomerated nanostructure may be promising for a new type of electrode material.