Facile Synthesis of High Performance Platinum-Cerium Oxide Nanocatalysts for Methanol Oxidation

Abstract

In this study, platinum-cerium oxide nanoparticles synthesised from CeNO3 and H2PtCl6 solutions in ethylene glycol using microwave heating method, exhibited high activity towards methanol electrooxidation. The materials were electrochemically characterised using cyclic voltammetry and rotating disk electrode methods, and physically characterised using X-Ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-Ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX). The methodology of the synthesis of the materials was straightforward and resource efficient. SEM-EDX data indicated that the synthesised nanocatalysts have a very uniform dispersion on the catalyst support material, and a narrow particle size distribution. The synthesised nanocatalysts had a low overpotential towards methanol electrooxidation and high currents for methanol and carbon monoxide oxidation.