Pt catalyst supported on titanium suboxide for formic acid electrooxidation reaction

Pt catalysts supported on titanium suboxide (Ti4O7), commercial TiO2 and carbon black were prepared by a borohydride reduction method, respectively, and used as electrocatalysts for direct formic acid fuel cells (DFAFCs). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images show that Pt nanoparticles have a poorer dispersion on Ti4O7 compared to that on TiO2 and carbon black due to the hydrophobicity and high density of Ti4O7. Nevertheless, according to cyclic voltammetry (CV) and chronoamperometry (CA) results, it is found that the Pt/Ti4O7 catalyst possesses better catalytic activity and stability. Besides the high electrical conductivity, it is suggested from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses that the higher content of metallic Pt caused by the Ti4O7 support material also contributes to the better catalytic performance of Pt/Ti4O7.