High loading and monodispersed Pt nanoparticles on multiwalled carbon nanotubes for high performance proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Composite electrodes consisting of Pt nanoparticles-supported on multiwalled carbon nanotubes grown directly on carbon paper (Pt/CNTs/carbon paper) have been synthesized by a new method using glacial acetic acid as a reducing agent. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images show that the Pt nanoparticles with high density and relative small in size (2–4 nm) were monodispersed on the surface of CNTs. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis indicates that the glacial acetic acid acts as a reducing agent and has the capability of producing a high density of oxygen-containing functional groups on the surface of CNTs that leads to high density and monodispersion of Pt nanoparticles. Compared with standard Pt/C electrode, the Pt/CNT/carbon paper composite electrodes exhibit higher electrocatalytic activity for methanol oxidation reaction and higher single-cell performance in a H2/O2 fuel cell.