Multiwalled carbon nanotube-supported Pt/Sn and Pt/Sn/PMo12 electrocatalysts for methanol electro-oxidation

Carbon nanotube (CNT) containing electrocatalysts, Pt/Sn/PMo12/CNT, Pt/Sn/CNT, and Pt/CNT, were prepared by a microwave-heated polyol process. The electrocatalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive spectroscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, and cyclic voltammetry. We found that the addition of PMo12 can help Pt-Sn nanoparticles to disperse very uniformly on the outer walls of CNTs. The Pt/Sn/PMo12/CNT catalyst exhibited the lowest onset potential for electro-oxidation of adsorbed C intermediates, compared to the Pt/Sn/CNT and Pt/CNT catalysts. It also generated much higher current density for methanol oxidation at room temperature compared to Pt/Sn/CNT and Pt/CNT catalysts, which were prepared by the same method.