Fabrication of macroporous Pt film electrode

Abstract

Colloidal crystal template films have been prepared on a Pt-sputtered Si substrate by a dip-coating method with suspensions containing 870 nm polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) microspheres. The mostly-packed PMMA template films could be obtained from the ethanol-ultra pure water suspensions containing P123 as a surfactant. Macroporous Pt films could be fabricated successfully by electrolytic deposition of Pt on the PMMA template film and subsequent removal of PMMA by thermal treatment. The use of the thick template film prepared from a suspension containing higher PMMA concentration resulted in a thinner wall of Pt framework and destruction of pore structure during the firing process to remove the PMMA template. Similar phenomena were observed for Pt films prepared by non-electrolytic deposition of Pt on the PMMA film. In contrast, firm Pt porous structure with thicker framework was maintained after removal of PMMA when electrolytic deposition of Pt was conducted on a thin template film prepared from a suspension containing lower concentration.