Enhanced electrocatalytic performance for methanol oxidation of a novel Pt-dispersed poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)–poly(styrene sulfonic acid) electrode

Abstract

A new catalyst electrode was prepared in which Pt particles were homogeneously distributed into a poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)–poly(styrene sulfonic acid) (PEDOT–PSS) matrix. Catalytic activity and stability for the oxidation of methanol were studied by using cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. For comparative purposes, bulk Pt and PEDOT–PSS based electrodes were fabricated and tested. Enhanced electrocatalytic activity toward the oxidation of methanol was noticed when Pt particles were embedded into the PEDOT–PSS matrix. A high catalytic current for methanol oxidation (2.51 mA cm −2) was found for the PEDOT–PSS–Pt electrode in comparison to bulk Pt electrode (0.45 mA cm −2) at +0.6 V (versus Ag/AgCl). The enhanced electrocatalytic activity might be due to the dispersion of Pt particles into the PEDOT–PSS matrix and the synergistic effects between the dispersed Pt particles and the PEDOT–PSS matrix. The morphology and crystalline behavior of PEDOT–PSS–Pt and simple ITO/Pt films were determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and correlated with the enhanced electrocatalytic activity for the Pt-dispersed PEDOT–PSS electrode.