Methanol electro-oxidation catalyst and method of making the same

摘要

The active methanol electro-oxidation catalysts include nano-oxides of transition metals (i.e., iron, cobalt and nickel) and platinum-ruthenium alloy nano-particles. The nano-oxides of the transition metals are dispersed during synthesis of a support material, such as mesoporous carbon. The catalyst includes a support material formed from mesoporous carbon, a nano-oxide of a transition metal dispersed in the support material, and platinum-ruthenium alloy nano-particles supported on the nano-oxide of the transition metal, the platinum-ruthenium alloy nano-particles (in a 1:1 molar ratio) forming about 15 wt % of the methanol electro-oxidation catalyst, the transition metals forming about 15 wt % of the methanol electro-oxidation catalyst, and carbon and oxygen forming the balance of about 70 wt % of the methanol electro-oxidation catalyst.

主权项

1. A method of making a methanol electro-oxidation catalyst, comprising the steps of:
adding SBA-15 mesoporous silica to a 0.5M transition metal nitrate solution in ethanol to form an intermediate solution; evaporating the intermediate solution to obtain a dry powder; oxidizing the dry powder to form a composition of an oxide of a transition metal and SBA-15 mesoporous silica adding a sucrose and sulfuric acid solution to the composition to form a slurry; drying the slurry to form a secondary dry powder; carbonizing the secondary dry powder to form a composition of an oxide of a transition metal and mesoporous carbon; performing NaBH4 reduction on the composition of an oxide of a transition metal and mesoporous carbon; adding platinum and ruthenium precursors to the transition metal oxide/mesoporous carbon composition to form a secondary slurry; and drying the secondary slurry to form the methanol electro-oxidation catalyst.