Three-dimensional ordered macroporous platinum-based electrode for methanol oxidation

Abstract

In this paper, three-dimensional ordered macroporous platinum catalysts with high real surface area were synthesized using the inverted colloidal crystals template technique and have been employed for the electrooxidation of methanol. The morphology and electrocatalytic behavior of the porous Pt electrodes were investigated with atomic force microscopy and electrochemical techniques. For the same amount of Pt deposited, the real surface areas of the electrodes are 9.16 and 8.00 cm2 for the porous electrodes with pore size of 320 and 500 nm respectively, which are more than 5 times larger than the directly deposited Pt electrode (1.4 cm2). The pore size effect on the methanol electrooxidation was investigated by testing low concentration solution of methanol and porous materials with different pore sizes. The synthesized macroporous Pt electrode shows high stability toward the electrooxidation of methanol and is promising for the direct methanol fuel cell.