Effects of the surface area of carbon support on the characteristics of highly-dispersed PtRu particles as catalysts for methanol oxidation

• Published in: Electrochimica acta 2003-11, Vol.48 (25), p.3861-3868
• Main Authors: Takasu, Y., Kawaguchi, T., Sugimoto, W., Murakami, Y.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Carbon black; Carbon monoxide; Chemistry; DMFC; Electrochemistry; Energy; Energy. Thermal use of fuels; Equipments for energy generation and conversion: thermal, electrical, mechanical energy, etc; Exact sciences and technology; Fuel cell; Fuel cells; General and physical chemistry; Kinetics and mechanism of reactions; Methanol; Oxidation; PtRu catalyst
• ISSN: 0013-4686; 1873-3859
• DOI: 10.1016/S0013-4686(03)00521-8

Considerable effects have been observed for the specific surface area of carbon black support on the fundamental properties of PtRu/C catalysts, such as metal particle size, extent of alloying and catalytic activity for the oxidation of methanol. Equimolar ethanolic solutions of Pt(NH 3) 2(NO 2) 2 and RuNO(NO 3) x and seven different carbon black supports with specific surface areas ranging from 29 to 802 m 2 g −1 were used for the preparation of the catalysts by the co-impregnation method. CO ad stripping voltammetry was adopted for the investigation of the effects of the specific surface area of the carbon black on the catalytic activity of the PtRu/C catalysts as well as for the determination of the actual exposed surface area of the bimetallic particles. A size effect of the PtRu particles on the catalytic activity for the oxidation of methanol was also observed.