Influence of nickel on the electrochemical activity of PtRu/multiwalled carbon nanotubes electrocatalysts for direct methanol fuel cells

This paper presents the effect of Ni in PtRu electrocatalysts over multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) utilized for the electro-oxidation of methanol with the purpose of increasing reaction activity and tolerance to carbon monoxide. Two kinds of MWCNT were prepared using the same technique but diff...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of applied electrochemistry 2014-06, Vol.44 (6), p.695-700
Main Authors: Valenzuela-Muñiz, A. M., Alonso-Nuñez, G., Botte, G. G., Miki-Yoshida, M., Verde-Gómez, Y.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Chemistry
Chemistry and Materials Science
Deposition
Electrocatalysts
Electrochemistry
Ferrocenes
Industrial Chemistry/Chemical Engineering
Methyl alcohol
Nanoparticles
Nickel
Physical Chemistry
Research Article
Synthesis
X-rays
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Summary:This paper presents the effect of Ni in PtRu electrocatalysts over multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) utilized for the electro-oxidation of methanol with the purpose of increasing reaction activity and tolerance to carbon monoxide. Two kinds of MWCNT were prepared using the same technique but different catalytic agents, ferrocene, and nickelocene. MWCNT obtained from ferrocene were treated after the synthesis to eliminate amorphous carbon and Fe excess, while MWCNT from nickelocene were used as synthesized to leave the nickel nanoparticles formed during the synthesis. PtRu particles were deposited over the surface of both types of MWCNT in order to study the effect of the Ni presence. The structure of the electrocatalysts was analyzed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Chemical elemental microanalysis was carried out by X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The synthesized MWCNT had an average diameter in the order of 60 nm and an average length of about 30 microns. Metallic nanoparticles deposited had a particle size in the order of 10 nm each. The electrochemical surface area (ESA) was measured using CO stripping curves and the activity toward the methanol oxidation reaction was evaluated. The ESA was improved with the presence of Ni, achieving an activity and onset potential similar to a commercial electrocatalyst (20 wt% PtRu/C, ETEK) with a lower PtRu loading (10 wt% PtRu).
ISSN:0021-891X
1572-8838
DOI:10.1007/s10800-014-0679-x