TEMPLATED ELECTRODEPOSITION OF Pt-Ru NANOPARTICLES ON FIBROUS CARBON SUBSTRATES IN THE PRESENCE OF ONIONIC SURFACTANT: APPLICATION FOR METHANOL OXIDATION

摘要

Pt-Ru nanoparticles were electrodeposited onto three-dimensional graphite felt substrates utilizing liquid crystalline and micellar aqueous solutions of the nonionic surfactant Triton X-100 to produce novel anode structures for direct methanol fuel cells. The effect of surfactant concentration, deposition time and current density was studied employing a factorial experimental design. Obtained electrocatalysts were characterized by SEM, EDX and ICP-AES. Cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry and chronopotentiometry were carried out to assess the catalytic activity for methanol oxidation. Pt-Ru deposited using 6 mA cm~2, 90 minutes and 40 %_(wt) Triton X-100 yielded superior performance. Preliminary fuel cell tests highlighted the importance of an ion-conducting network across the thickness of the three-dimensional anode. Both single electrode and fuel cell tests demonstrated that templated deposition yields better catalyst utilization based on mass activity compared to plating from solutions without surfactant.