Electro-catalytic performance of Pt-supported poly (o-phenylenediamine) microrods for methanol oxidation reaction

摘要

Poly (o-phenylenediamine) (PoPD) microrods were obtained by interfacial polymerization using ferric chloride as oxidant and without any template or functional dopant. Pt/PoPD nanocatalysts were prepared by the reduction of chloroplatinic acid with sodium borohydride, and the composite catalysts formed were characterized by X-ray diffraction and electrochemical methods. The nanocomposite of Pt/PoPD microrods has been explored for their electro-catalytic performance towards oxidation of methanol. The electro-catalytic activity of Pt/PoPD was found to be much higher (current density 1.96 mA/cm2 at 0.70 V) in comparison to Pt/Vulcan electrodes (the current density values of 1.56 mA/cm2 at 0.71 V) which may be attributed to the microrod morphology of PoPD that facilitate the effective dispersion of Pt particles and easier access of methanol towards the catalytic sites.