Pt3Cu alloy anchored on nanoporous WO3 with high activity and stability in methanol oxidation

Abstract

Designing highly efficient and durable electrode for methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) is crucial to commercializing direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). However, traditional Pt/C catalysts usually suffer from CO poisoning, and agglomeration of powder catalyst, which leads to rapid activity degradation. Herein, we have successfully fabricated self-supported Pt3Cu@3DP-WO3/W electrode via a facile and effective synthesis approach by combining anodic oxidation and electrodeposition method. Benefitting from the three dimensional nanoporous of WO3 with more surface area and strong adhesion, and Pt3Cu alloy synergism induced the lattice compressive strain, the Pt3Cu@3DP-WO3/W electrode achieved 2.77-fold and 4.8-fold enhancement in specific activity (2.15 mA cm−2) and mass activity (853 mA·mgPt−1) for MOR relative to Pt/C catalysts, respectively. Moreover, both the experiments and theoretical calculations revealed that the doping of Cu element weakened the chemisorption of CO-like intermediates by lowering the Pt d-band center through compressive lattice strain, which resulting in excellent catalytic stability. This binder-free self-supported electrode is a viable alternative for commercial application of DMFCs.