Enhanced catalytic activity for the ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) using novel Pt-Fe3O4/MWCNT bimetallic electrocatalyst

Abstract

In this work, 20% Pt-Fe3O4/MWCNT (Pt:Fe 3O4 weight ratio of 80:20) and 20% Pt/MWCNT nanoparticles were synthesized and characterized as anode electrocatalysts in H 2SO4 media. First, the electrocatalyst were submitted to accelerated catalyst degradation test (ACDT) by performing 500 cycles between 0.6 and 1.2 V (vs. SHE). Then, their performance for the EOR was evaluated. The magnetite- containing nanoparticles demonstrated to be highly electrochemically stable, with negligible surface area losses (less than 7%) in the hydrogen adsorption/desorption region. Moreover, Pt-Fe3O4/MWCNT showed a significantly enhanced catalytic activity for the EOR when compared to Pt/MWCNT, with almost 46% increase in current density when using Fe 3O4 as co-catalysts. © J. New Mat. Electrochem. Systems.