Promoting effects of Fe2O3 to Pt electrocatalysts toward methanol oxidation reaction in alkaline electrolyte

作者：Song, Guihua; Yang, Haifang; Sun, Yafei; Wang, Jingyi; Qu, Weidong; Zhang, Qiang; Ma, Lingjuan; Feng, Yuanyuan^*

来源：Chinese Journal of Catalysis, 2017, 38(3): 554-563.

DOI：10.1016/S1872-2067(17)62773-6

• Platinum
• Ferric oxide
• Promoting effect
• Methanol electrooxidation reaction
• Alkaline electrolyte

Fe2O3 nanorods and hexagonal nanoplates were synthesized and used as the promoters for Pt electrocatalysts toward the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) in an alkaline electrolyte. The catalysts were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. The results show that the presence of Fe2O3 in the electrocatalysts can promote the kinetic processes of MOR on Pt, and this promoting effect is related to the morphology of the Fe2O3 promoter. The catalyst with Fe2O3 nanorods as the promoter (Pt-Fe2O3/C-R) exhibits much higher catalytic activity and stability than that with Fe2O3 nanoplates as the promoter (Pt-Fe2O3/C-P). The mass activity and specific activity of Pt in a Pt-Fe2O3/C-R catalyst are 5.32 A/mg(pt) and 162.7 A/m(pt)(2), respectively, which are approximately 1.67 and 2.04 times those of the Pt-Fe2O3/C-P catalyst, and 4.19 and 6.16 times those of a commercial PtRu/C catalyst, respectively. Synergistic effects between Fe2O3 and Pt and the high content of Pt oxides in the catalysts are responsible for the improvement. These findings contribute not only to our understanding of the MOR mechanism but also to the development of advanced electrocatalysts with high catalytic properties for direct methanol fuel cells.

• 出版日期2017-3
• 单位曲阜师范大学