How to improve the catalytic performance of platinum
(Pt) catalysts
for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) has attracted extensive attention.
Herein, by using monolayer graphene oxide (GO) as the support, composite
microspheres composed of intertwined Pt nanowires and GO (PtNW-GO)
were synthesized at room temperature by a surfactant-free chemical
reduction method. Electrocatalytic methanol oxidation reaction (MOR)
tests showed that, compared with commercial Pt-C, PtNW-GO have a higher
MOR activity (which is about 3 times that of commercial Pt-C), lower
onset potential, better anti-CO toxicity, and better durability. The
better electrocatalytic performance is attributed to the nanowire
morphology of Pt, the specific properties of reduced GO, the intertwined
structure of GO and Pt, and the synergistic effect between GO and
Pt. This work provides an idea for the synthesis of efficient Pt-based
composite catalysts for DMFC application.