Abstract
In this study, we focus on the pulse electrochemical deposition method (ECD) to prepare Pt and PtRu catalysts onto different carbon supporting and to analysis their electrochemical characteristics via electrochemical method such as Linear Scanning Voltammetry (LSV), Cyclic Voltammetry (CV). In that respect are three parts we have approached. 1) Pulse electrodeposition of Pt and PtRu Methanoloxidation nano-catalysts onto carbon nanotubes in citric acid aqueous solutions. 2) Pt and PtRu catalysts by electrochemical deposition toward highactivity of methanol oxidation. 3) Enhanced electrocatalytic activities of pulse electrodeposited single crystal, fern-like Pt nanorods, as determined by the catalyst mass activity (M.A.) and speci?c activity (S.A.) for the methanol oxidation reaction. The result shown as follows. 1) Platinum(Pt) and platinum–ruthenium (PtRu) hybrid nanocatalysts were prepared by the pulse-electrodeposition method in different aqueous solutions containing citric acid (CA) or sulfuric acid (SA). The results show that the electrochemical mass activities of these hybrid nanocatalysts prepared in the CA aqueous solution were increased by factors of 1.46 and 2.77 for Pt and PtRu, respectively, compared with thoseprepared in SA aqueous solutions using the same procedure. These increased mass activities are attributed tothe CA playing dual roles as both a stabilizing agent and a particle size reducing agent in the aqueous solutions. In this work, the approach developed enables further reductions in the particle sizes of noble-metalnano-catalysts. 2) Platinum nanocatalysts synthesized in four different 0/1.0/1.6/2.0mM concentrationRu baths were prepared by the pulse-electrodeposition method in citric acid (CA).The results show that the electrochemical mass activities of these hybrid nanocatalysts prepared were increased with Ru content. The best mass activities in 2.0mM concentrationRu compared to pure Pt were increased by factors of 1.566. The anodic potential of methanol oxidation in PtRu werenegative shift from 0.6VSCE to 0.46VSCE, which means that Pt with Ru was easily to enhance methanol oxidation. 3) Single-crystal and fern-like Pt nanorods (Pt-NR) were electrodeposited on carbon paper. The electrocatalytic activity of prepared Pt-NR electrodes, as determined by the catalyst mass activity (M.A.) and speci?c activity (S.A.) for the methanol oxidation reaction, are respectively 4.59 times and 10.54 times better than that of a commercial Pt black catalyst.