Electrodeposition of Platinum (Pt) Particles as a Catalyst of Hydrogenation of Acetone

Abstract

Heterogeneous catalysts play an important role in accelerating chemical reactions in order to save energy and cost during the reaction process. Platinum (Pt) has received a great deal of attention for its application in many catalytic processes, but very few studies have evaluated it in the hydrogenation process of acetone. In this study, Pt particles were successfully grown on an indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass substrate by means of a facile, one-step, and template-free electrodeposition method using a solution containing 2.0 mM H2PtCl6 and 0.5 M H2SO4 at room temperature. Potentiostatic and galvanostatic methods were employed to conduct the electrodeposition process under different potentials, current densities, and deposition times to observe their influence on the morphology of the electrodeposited Pt particles. It was found that the morphology of the particles could be facilely manipulated by adjusting the deposition current and potential by using the galvanostatic and potentiostatic methods, respectively. The potentiostatic method produced a spherical or bayberry-like shape whereas the galvanostatic method produced a flower-like shape. The sharp tips on the surface of the bayberry-like shape are electron-rich sites that can break the C = O bond in acetone, thereby forming C-OH bonds that can generate isopropanol molecules.