Low temperature preparation of Pt alloy electrocatalysts for DMFC

The electrodes are usually made of a porous mixture of carbon-supported platinum and ionomers. $SnO_2$ particles provide as supports that have been used for DMFCs, and it have high catalytic activities toward methanol oxidation. The main advantage of $SnO_2$ supported electrodes is that it has strong chemical interactions with metallic components. The high activity to a synergistic bifunctional mechanism in which Pt provides the adsorption sites for CO, while oxygen adsorbs dissociative on $SnO_2$. The reaction between the adsorbed species occurs at the Pt/$SnO_2$ boundary. The morphological observations were characterized by FESEM and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). $SnO_2$ particles crystallinity was analyzed by the X-ray diffraction (XRD). The surface bonded state of the $SnO_2$ particles and electrode materials were observed by the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The electric properties of the Pt/$SnO_2$ catalyst for methanol oxidation have been investigated by the cyclic voltametry (CV) in 0.1M $H_2SO_4$ and 0.1M MeOH aqueous solution. The peak current density of methanol oxidation was increased as the $SnO_2$ content in the anode catalysts increased. Pt/$SnO_2$ catalysts improve the removal of CO ads species formed on the platinum surface during methanol electro-oxidation.