One-pot synthesis of a PtCu alloy catalyst for the methanol oxidation reaction

Abstract

Efficient and durable methanol electro-oxidation catalysts in acidic media are essential for commercial applications of direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). In this work, PtCu nanoparticles are prepared via the wet chemical method for the oxidation reaction of the DMFC. The combination of Cu and Pt can effectively adjust the electronic structure of the catalyst and oxidize CO_ads at a lower potential. Electrochemical tests show that PtCu nanoparticles have an excellent catalytic activity for methanol oxidation, where the peak current reaches 1010.41 mA mg_Pt⁻¹, which is 3.1 times higher than that of the commercial Pt/C catalyst. In addition, the synthesis steps are simple, and the catalyst prepared using this method shows high activity and stability, thus creating conditions for realizing industrialized preparation.