Platinum–antimony tin oxide nanoparticle as cathode catalyst for direct methanol fuel cell

Pt–ATO (Sb/SnO2) nanoparticle is synthesized by the consecutive polyol process to enhance the catalyst activity for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in the presence of methanol. Pt–ATO catalyst exhibits better activity for ORR with and without methanol than Pt black catalyst in a half-cell test, which could be attributed to the inhibition of the coagulation of Pt nanoparticles and partial blocking of adsorption site for the methanol molecules by ATO particle on the Pt surface. As a result, an increase in the power density in the single cell test was achieved by using the Pt–ATO catalyst as cathode catalyst for the direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) rather than by using the Pt black catalyst. The Pt–ATO particle appears to be promising methanol tolerant catalyst with higher activity for the ORR in the DMFC.