Enhancement of ethanol oxidation at Pt-Ni-Sn nanoparticles supported on reduced graphene oxide

In this work, graphene oxide was prepared by a modified Hummers’ method. Then, it was used as a support for preparation of nanoparticles. Pt-Ni-Sn nanoparticles were synthesized on the reduced graphene oxide (RGO) support by a chemical reduction method. The catalytic activity of Pt-Ni-Sn/RGO nanocomposite was investigated for ethanol electrooxidation through cyclic voltammetry method. Different parameters affecting on ethanol oxidation at Pt-Ni-Sn/RGO catalyst were investigated. The results showed that the catalytic activity of Pt/RGO nanocomposite towards ethanol oxidation was improved by the addition of Ni and Sn nanoparticles. The improvement of the catalytic activity depends on the amount of Sn and Ni nanoparticles. The catalytic activity of Pt-Ni-Sn/RGO catalyst for ethanol electrooxidation was significantly higher than that of Pt/RGO, Pt-Sn/RGO and Pt-Ni/RGO catalysts.