Platinum and CeO2−x Occlusion Electrodeposition at Unsupported Vulcan XC-72R for Methanol and Ethanol Oxidation Reactions in Alkaline Media

• Published in: ECS Advances 2024-11, Vol.3 (4), p.044501
• Main Authors: Suleiman Mahmoud, Amal, Menéndez Mora, Cristian L., Roque-Malherbe, Rolando, García Martínez, Javier, Cabrera, Carlos R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: ceria; ethanol oxidation reaction; methanol oxidation reaction; platinum; rotating disk slurry electrodeposition (RoDSE)
• ISSN: 2754-2734
• DOI: 10.1149/2754-2734/ad7bcb

Platinum was electrodeposited in a slurry solution of CeO _2 and Vulcan XC-72R to produce Pt/CeO _2−x /Vulcan XC-72R catalysts by using the Rotating Disk Slurry Electrodeposition (RoDSE) Technique. The activity of the catalysts was measured towards methanol and ethanol oxidation reactions in alkaline conditions by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. The electrochemical results were compared to those obtained on commercial catalysts. Pt/CeO _2−x /Vulcan XC-72R (with ∼ 26 wt% Pt) catalyst was the most active for both alcohol oxidation reactions when compared to commercial 40 wt.% and 20% /Vulcan XC-72R (ETEK) catalysts. The mass activity increases 2.0x and 2.4x for methanol and ethanol oxidation reactions when compare with 40 and 20 Pt wt. % commercial catalysts, respectively. The Pt/CeO _2−x /Vulcan XC-72R catalysts contained Pt nanoparticles growth within the cerium oxide through an occlusion electrodeposition method. These effects were systematically investigated using X-ray Diffraction (XRD), High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HR-TEM), and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS).