A Ptsub(3)Sn/C electrocatalyst with superior activity toward direct ethanol fuel cells

Abstract

– A carbon-supported binary Pt3Sn catalyst was prepared using a modified polymeric precursor method. This material was characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), and the results showed that Pt3Sn is the dominant phase. The transmission electron microscopy showed good dispersion of the electrocatalyst and small particle sizes (3.6 nm ± 1.1 nm). The polarization curves for a DEFC using Pt3Sn/C as the anode presented an improved performance compared to that with PtSn/C E-TEK. The maximum power density for Pt3Sn/C electrocatalyst (55 mW cm-2) is nearly twice as great as that of PtSn/C E-TEK electrocatalyst (33 mW cm-2). This behavior may be explained by an electronic effect which is responsible for the increasing in the efficiency toward EOR as indicated in the literature.