Preparation and electrochemical performance of Pt black-carbon nanotube composite for methanol oxidation reaction

Fuels cells are actively investigated as an attractive alternative to conventional fossil fuel combustion engines for cleaner power generations [1]. Direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) have attracted much attention of researchers due to their high energy density, non-pollution and other great advantages [2]. The excellent catalytic activity of platinum for the electrooxidation of methanol makes this metal preferable to be used as electrocatalysts both at anode and cathode of DMFCs [3]. This work reports the preparation, characterization, and electrocatalytic characteristics of a new metallic nanocatalyst. The catalyst, Pt black–carbon nanotube (Pt-CNT), was prepared by ultrasonication method and characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energydispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and voltammetry. The electrocatalytic properties of the Pt-CNT composite modified carbon paste electrode (Pt-CNT/CPE) for methanol (CH3OH) oxidation have been investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV); high electrocatalytic activity of the Pt-CNT/CPE can be observed. This may be attributed to the high dispersion of Pt catalyst and the particular properties of CNT support. The long-term stability of Pt-CNT composite was investigated in 0.05 M CH3OH in 0.1 M H2SO4 solution. The results imply that the Pt-CNT composite has good potential applications in fuel cells.