Pt/Mo2C/C-cp as a highly active and stable catalyst for ethanol electrooxidation

Abstract

A Pt/Mo2C/C-cp electrocatalyst with optimized Pt[sbnd]Mo2C chemical bonding is synthesized and evaluated for the ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR). The chemical bonding of Mo2C to Pt particles renders exceptional EOR activity at low potentials, which is 15 and 2.5 times higher than Pt/C and commercial 40% PtRu/C, respectively, at 0.6 V (vs. RHE). The stability of the Pt/Mo2C/C-cp electrocatalyst is comparable to the commercial 40% PtRu/C catalyst. CO stripping test demonstrates the existence of highly active sites for CO oxidation on the Pt/Mo2C/C-cp catalyst. In-situ infrared spectroscopic studies of EOR reveal that the excellent anti-poisoning ability of the Pt/Mo2C/C-cp catalyst is related to the relatively weak binding of carbonyl intermediates over the Pt/Mo2C/C-cp catalysts.