Preparation and electrochemical characterization of Pt nanoparticles dispersed on niobium oxide

Abstract

Electrodes consisting of Pt nanoparticles dispersed on thin films of niobium oxide were preparedonto titanium substrates by a sol-gel method. The physical characterization of these electrodes was carriedout by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis. The meansize of the Pt particles was found to be 10.7 nm. The general aspects of the electrochemical behavior werestudied by cyclic voltammetry in 1 mol L -1 HClO 4 aqueous solution. The response of these electrodes inrelation to the oxidation of formaldehyde and methanol in acidic media was also studied.