Influence of nanostructured ceria support on platinum nanoparticles for methanol electrooxidation in alkaline media

Authors

Yunyun Zhao, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Christian L. Menendez, University of Puerto Rico
Maxime J.-F. Guinel, University of Puerto Rico
Elizabeth C. Needels, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Ileana Gonzalez-Gonzalez, University of Puerto Rico
Dichele L. Jackson, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Neil J. Lawrence, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Carlos R. Cabrera, University of Puerto RicoFollow
Chin Li Cheung, University of Nebraska at LincolnFollow

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

2014

Citation

RSC Adv., 2014, 4, 1270–1275; DOI: 10.1039/c3ra45829f

Comments

Copyright 2014 The Royal Society of Chemistry

Abstract

The catalytic activity of platinum (Pt) nanoparticles (NPs) towards methanol electrooxidation in alkaline media was demonstrated to be dependent on their interactions with their nanostructured ceria support. Ceria nanorods (NRs) with diameters of 5 to 10 nm and lengths of 15 to 50 nm as well as ceria NPs with diameters of 2 to 6 nm were applied as supports for similarly sized Pt NPs with diameters of 2 to 5 nm. Cyclic voltammetry data showed that Pt NPs supported on ceria NPs exhibited a 2-to-5-fold higher catalytic current density versus ceria NRs. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic data indicated that Pt NPs deposited onto ceria NRs were disproportionally composed of oxidized species (Pt²⁺, Pt⁴⁺ and Pt–O–M) rather than Pt0 while Pt NPs on ceria NPs mainly consisted of Pt⁰. Stronger metal-support interactions between Pt NPs and ceria NRs are postulated to induce preferential oxidation of Pt NPs and consequently decrease the catalytic sites and overall activity.