NbC Nanowire-Supported Pt Nanoparticles as a High Performance Catalyst for Methanol Electrooxidation

Abstract

NbC nanowires (NWs) have been successfully synthesized by a bamboo-based carbon-thermal method and used as potential platinum catalyst support for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). The NbC NWs show a highly oriented growth behavior, high electrical conductivity, and outstanding oxidation resistance. Well-deposited platinum (Pt) nanoparticles with the average size of about 6 nm were highly dispersed on the surface of the NbC NWs via sodium borohydride reduction method. Compared with conventional Pt/C (Vulcan XC-72) catalyst, the Pt/NbC NWs catalyst presented a distinctly enhanced methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) by a negative shift in the onset potential and an increase of the peak current density. Meanwhile, the Pt/NbC NW catalyst showed excellent electrochemical stability, which could be attributed to little change of electrochemical surface area during methanol oxidation. On the basis of these intrinsic properties and one-dimensional nanoarchitecture, the NbC NWs will be attractive as a promising catalyst support in DMFCs.

Strong Fe3+-O(H)-Pt Interfacial Interaction Induced Excellent Stability of Pt/NiFe-LDH/rGO Electrocatalysts

“…Figure 4a illustrates the typical CV curves of Pt 0.54 /NiFe-LDH/rGO, Pt 0.12 /Ni(OH) 2 /rGO and commercial Pt/C. On the basis of integrated hydrogen desorption region 31 , the calculated result showed that the ECSA values of Pt catalysts on Pt 0.54 /NiFe-LDH/rGO (609.01 cm 2 mg −1 ) and Pt 0.12 /Ni(OH) 2 /rGO (767.62 cm 2 mg −1 ) were higher than that of commercial Pt/C (498.86 cm 2 mg −1 ). And given that the comparatively low loading amount and higher dispersity of Pt NPs, as verified by the ICP-AES analysis, Pt 0.12 /Ni(OH) 2 /rGO (Pt concentration, 28.53 µg mL −1 ) ternary hybrids showed slightly higher electrocatalytic activity than that of Pt 0.54 /NiFe-LDH/rGO (Pt concentration, 146.80 µg mL −1 ) during MOR.…”

Engineering nanointerfaces for nanocatalysis

“…Usually high-temperature solid state routes are utilized to prepare a nitride 110 or carbide support. 111 Subsequent deposition of noble metal NPs afforded excellent catalysts, in a wide range of applications, as exemplified by electrocatalysts. Recently, a colloidal route was established for nitride 112 and phosphide 113 NCs, which opened up the possibility for constructing nanointerfaces between these binary compounds and metals.…”

Recent Advances in the Stabilization of Platinum Electrocatalysts for Fuel‐Cell Reactions

“…Other transition‐metal carbides, including TiC,106 NbC,107 VC,108 and Mo 2 C,109 have also been used as Pt supports. For example, NbC nanowires have recently been synthesized by using a bamboo‐based carbothermal method and used as Pt supports for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) 107. 1D NbC NWs showed highly oriented growth behavior, high electrical conductivity, and outstanding oxidation resistance, thereby leading increased activity and excellent stability towards the MOR.…”