Functionalizing carbon nanotubes for effective electrocatalysts supports by an intermittent microwave heating method

摘要

In this work an efficient functionalizing method of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by intermittent microwave heating (1MH) KOH media is reported. The performance of such modified CNTs as Pt electrocatalysts supports is demonstrated. FTIR spectrum and Raman spectrum are used to investigate the surface state of the CNTs. TEM technology is employed to study the dispersion of Pt particles for the prepared electrocatalysts. Meanwhile, cyclic voltammetry and chronopotentiometry measurements are adopted to investigate the corresponding activity and stability of the electrocatalysts. The results indicate that the CNTs functional-ized by the IMH method in the form of 15s-ON/10s-OFF for pulse 20 repetitions used as electrocatalysts supports shows significantly higher activity and stability towards methanol electrooxidation in comparison with the CNTs decorated in other forms in the present study. The present method is simple and economic and displays a probability of mass production for supporting materials and electrocatalysts as well.