Carbon nanotubes as catalyst supports for etanol Oxidation

Abstract

Multiwalled carbon nanotubes were obtained by chemical vapor deposition of xyleneeferroceneand employed as supports for PtSn alloy nanoparticles synthesized by thepolyol method. The same metal alloy catalyst was also supported on Vulcan XC-72R tocompare the influence of the substrate on the catalyst behavior for ethanol oxidation.The physical characterization of the carbon samples and supported alloy catalysts wasperformed by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-raydiffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.Ethanol oxidation was chosen as a reaction model to study the electrocatalytic behavior ofthe supported PtSn nanoparticles. Cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry and electrochemicalimpedance spectroscopy were used for the electrochemical characterization. ThePtSn/MWNT electrodes show a better catalytic behavior for ethanol oxidation than PtSn/Vulcan XC-72R electrodes.