Multi-walled carbon nanotubes modified by sulfated TiO2 – A promising support for Pt catalyst in a direct ethanol fuel cell

• Published in: Carbon (New York) Vol. 47; no. 7; pp. 1680 - 1685
• Main Authors: Guo, Dao-Jun, Qiu, Xin-Ping, Chen, Li-Quan, Zhu, Wen-Tao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier 01.06.2009
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Catalysis; Chemistry; Colloidal state and disperse state; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Energy; Energy. Thermal use of fuels; Equipments for energy generation and conversion: thermal, electrical, mechanical energy, etc; Exact sciences and technology; Fuel cells; Fullerenes and related materials; diamonds, graphite; General and physical chemistry; Materials science; Physical and chemical studies. Granulometry. Electrokinetic phenomena; Physics; Specific materials; Theory of reactions, general kinetics. Catalysis. Nomenclature, chemical documentation, computer chemistry; Infrared spectroscopy; XRD; Supported catalyst; Alcohols; Nanoparticles; Chemical reduction; Cyclic voltammetry; Supports; Synthesis; Fuel cells; Alkanol; Oxidation; Chronoamperometry; Electrochemical reaction; Catalytic reaction; Ethanol; Transition element compounds; Binary compounds; Carbon; High-resolution methods; Heterogeneous catalysis; Composite materials; Transmission electron microscopy; Multiwalled nanotube; Impedance; Titanium oxide
• ISSN: 0008-6223
• DOI: 10.1016/j.carbon.2009.02.023

We report the synthesis of multi-walled carbon nanotubes coated with sulfated TiO2 (S-TiO2/MWCNTs) as a promising support for Pt catalyst in a direct ethanol fuel cell. Highly dispersed Pt nanoparticles were supported on the S-TiO2/MWCNT composites by NaBH4 reduction procedure (Pt-S-TiO2/MWCNTs). The presence and nature of the catalyst were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The size of the sulfated TiO2 product was about 8 nm, and that of the Pt nanoparticle on the S-TiO2/MWCNT composites was about 5 nm. The Pt-S-TiO2/MWCNTs were used to study the electrochemical ethanol oxidation reaction using cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry and impedance spectroscopy. The results show that Pt-S-TiO2/MWCNT catalysts show higher catalytic activity for ethanol oxidation compared with Pt supported on non-sulfated TiO2/MWCNT composites and commercial Pt/C catalysts.