Atomic Carbon Layers Supported Pt Nanoparticles for Minimized CO Poisoning and Maximized Methanol Oxidation

Maximizing activity of Pt catalysts toward methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) together with minimized poisoning of adsorbed CO during MOR still remains a big challenge. In the present work, uniform and well‐distributed Pt nanoparticles (NPs) grown on an atomic carbon layer, that is in situ formed by means of dry‐etching of silicon carbide nanoparticles (SiC NPs) with CCl₄ gas, are explored as potential catalysts for MOR. Significantly, as‐synthesized catalysts exhibit remarkably higher MOR catalytic activity (e.g., 647.63 mA mg^?1 at a peak potential of 0.85 V vs RHE) and much improved anti‐CO poisoning ability than the commercial Pt/C catalysts, Pt/carbon nanotubes, and Pt/graphene catalysts. Moreover, the amount of expensive Pt is a few times lower than that of the commercial and reported catalyst systems. As confirmed from density functional theory (DFT) calculations and X‐ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) measurements, such high performance is due to reduced adsorption energy of CO on the Pt NPs and an increased amount of adsorbed energy OH species that remove adsorbed CO fast and efficiently. Therefore, these catalysts can be utilized for the development of large‐scale and industry‐orientated direct methanol fuel cells.     

Platinum-nanoparticle-supported core--shell polymer nanospheres with unexpected water stability and facile further modification

Core-shell nanospheres (CSNSs) with hydrophobic cores and hydrophilic shells were fabricated via a simple mini-emulsion polymerization for the stabilization of platinum nanoparticles (Pt-NPs). The CSNSs showed extremely high loading capacity of Pt-NPs (the largest loading amount of the Pt-NPs was about 49.2 wt%). Importantly, the Pt-NPs/CSNSs nanocomposites had unexpected stability in aqueous solution. DLS results revealed that the CSNSs loaded with Pt-NPs exhibited almost no aggregation after standing for a long time . However, the Pt-NPs immobilized on the CSNSs were not straitlaced: they could transport and redistribute between CSNSs freely when the environmental temperature was higher than the melting point of the CSNS shell. Owing to their excellent stability in aqueous solution, the surface of the Pt-NPs/CSNSs nanocomposites could be further decorated easily. For example, polyaniline (PANI)-coated Pt-NPs/CSNSs, nickel (Ni)-coated Pt-NPs/CSNSs and PANI/Pt-NPs dual-layer hollow nanospheres were facilely fabricated from the Pt-NPs/CSNS nanocomposites.     

Ultrathin Co-N-C Layer Modified Pt–Co Intermetallic Nanoparticles Leading to a High-Performance Electrocatalyst toward Oxygen Reduction and Methanol Oxidation

The development of low platinum-based alloy electrocatalysts is crucial to accelerate the commercialization of fuel cells, yet remains a synthetic challenge and an incompatibility between activity and stability. Herein, a facile procedure to fabricate a high-performance composite that comprises Pt–Co intermetallic nanoparticles (IMNs) and Co, N co-doped carbon (Co-N-C) electrocatalyst is proposed. It is prepared by direct annealing of homemade carbon black-supported Pt nanoparticles (Pt/KB) covered with a Co-phenanthroline complex. During this process, most of Co atoms in the complex are alloyed with Pt to form ordered Pt–Co IMNs, while some Co atoms are atomically dispersed and doped in the framework of superthin carbon layer derived from phenanthroline, which is coordinated with N to form Co–N_x moieties. Moreover, the Co-N-C film obtained from complex is observed to cover the surface of Pt–Co IMNs, which prevent the dissolution and agglomeration of nanoparticles. The composite catalyst exhibits high activity and stability toward oxygen reduction reactions (ORR) and methanol oxidation reactions (MOR), delivering outstanding mass activities of 1.96 and 2.92 A mg_Pt⁻¹ for ORR and MOR respectively, owing to the synergistic effect of Pt–Co IMNs and Co-N-C film. This study may provide a promising strategy to improve the electrocatalytic performance of Pt-based catalysts.     

Self‐Supported PtAuP Alloy Nanotube Arrays with Enhanced Activity and Stability for Methanol Electro‐Oxidation

Inhibiting CO formation can more directly address the problem of CO poisoning during methanol electro‐oxidation. In this study, 1D self‐supported porous PtAuP alloy nanotube arrays (ANTAs) are synthesized via a facile electro‐codeposition approach and present enhanced activity and improved resistance to CO poisoning through inhibiting CO formation (non‐CO pathway) during the methanol oxidation reaction in acidic medium. This well‐controlled Pt‐/transition metal‐/nonmetal ternary nanostructure exhibits a specific electroactivity twice as great as that of PtAu alloy nanotube arrays and Pt/C. At the same time, PtAuP ANTAs show a higher ratio of forward peak current density (I_f) to backward peak current density (I_b) (2.34) than PtAu ANTAs (1.27) and Pt/C (0.78). The prominent I_f/I_b value of PtAuP ANTAs indicates that most of the intermediate species are electro‐oxidized to carbon dioxide in the forward scan, which highlights the high electroactivity for methanol electro‐oxidation.     

Small-sized tungsten nitride anchoring into a 3D CNT-rGO framework as a superior bifunctional catalyst for the methanol oxidation and oxygen reduction reactions

The application of direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC) is hampered by high cost, low activity, and poor CO tolerance by the Pt catalyst. Herein, we designed a fancy 3D hybrid by anchoring tungsten nitride (WN) nanoparticles (NPs), of about 3 nm in size, into a 3D carbon nanotube-reduced graphene oxide framework (CNT-rGO) using an assembly route. After depositing Pt, the contacted and strongly coupled Pt–WN NPs were formed, resulting in electron transfer from Pt to WN. The 3D Pt–WN/CNT-rGO hybrid can be used as a bifunctional electrocatalyst for both methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). In MOR, the catalysts showed excellent CO tolerance and a high mass activity of 702.4 mA·mg_Pt ^–1, 2.44 and 3.81 times higher than those of Pt/CNT-rGO and Pt/C(JM) catalysts, respectively. The catalyst also exhibited a more positive onset potential (1.03 V), higher mass activity (151.3 mA·mg_Pt ^–1), and better cyclic stability and tolerance in MOR than ORR. The catalyst mainly exhibited a 4e-transfer mechanism with a low peroxide yield. The high activity was closely related to hybrid structure. That is, the 3D framework provided a favorable path for mass-transfer, the CNT-rGO support was favorable for charge transfer, and strongly coupled Pt–WN can enhance the catalytic activity and CO-tolerance of Pt. Pt–WN/CNT-rGO represents a new 3D catalytic platform that is promising as an electrocatalyst for DMFC because it can catalyze both ORR and MOR in an acidic medium with good stability and highly efficient Pt utilization.

Open image in new window

     

Pt nanoparticles on graphene – polyelectrolyte nanocomposite: Investigation of H2O2 and methanol electrocatalysis

Poly (diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) functionalized graphene oxide (GO) decorated with Pt nanoparticles (PtNPs) was obtained and investigated. This hybrid nanocomposite material was morphologically characterized by several instrumental techniques like high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Good coverage of crystalline Pt nanoparticles was achieved, the average diameter being 2 nm, meanwhile in the absence of polyelectrolyte the average diameter increased up to 4 nm. The electrocatalytic properties of this hybrid nanocomposite against H₂O₂ and methanol were ascertained by cyclic voltammetry. A modified glassy carbon electrode (GC) was able to reduce H₂O₂ at positive potentials (starting from ∼150 mV vs. Ag/AgCl) meanwhile for methanol the ratio of the forward anodic peak current (I_f) to the reverse anodic peak current (I_b) was 1.42, indicating good tolerance of the catalyst towards the intermediate carbonaceous species accumulated on the electrode surface.     

The effect of Pt nanoparticles loading on H2 sensing properties of flame-spray-made SnO2 sensing films

SnO₂ nanoparticles loaded with 0.2–2 wt% Pt have successfully been synthesized in a single step by flame spray pyrolysis (FSP) and investigated for gas sensing towards hydrogen (H₂). According to characterization results by X-ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption, scanning/high resolution-transmission electron microscopy and analyses based on Hume-Rothery rules using atomic radii, crystal structure, electronegativities, and valency/oxidation states of Pt and Sn, it is conclusive that Pt is not solute in SnO₂ crystal but forms nanoparticles loaded on SnO₂ surface. H₂ gas sensing was studied at 200–10,000 ppm and 150–350 °C in dry air. It was found that H₂ response was enhanced by more than one order of magnitude with a small Pt loading concentration of 0.2 wt% but further increase of Pt loading amount resulted in deteriorated H₂-sensing performance. The optimal SnO₂ sensing film (0.2 wt% Pt-loaded SnO₂, 20 μm in thickness) showed an optimum H₂ response of ∼150.2 at 10,000 ppm and very short response time in a few seconds at a low optimal operating temperature of 200 °C. In addition, the response tended to increase linearly and the response times decreased drastically with increasing H₂ concentration. Moreover, the selectivity against carbon monoxide (CO) and acetylene (C₂H₂) gases was also found to be considerably improved with the small amount of Pt loading. The H₂ response dependence on Pt concentration can be explained based on the spillover mechanism, which is highly effective only when Pt catalyst is well-dispersed at the low Pt loading concentration of 0.2 wt%.     

A Polymer Encapsulation Strategy to Synthesize Porous Nitrogen‐Doped Carbon‐Nanosphere‐Supported Metal Isolated‐Single‐Atomic‐Site Catalysts

A novel polymer encapsulation strategy to synthesize metal isolated‐single‐atomic‐site (ISAS) catalysts supported by porous nitrogen‐doped carbon nanospheres is reported. First, metal precursors are encapsulated in situ by polymers through polymerization; then, metal ISASs are created within the polymer‐derived p‐CN nanospheres by controlled pyrolysis at high temperature (200–900 °C). Transmission electron microscopy and N₂ sorption results reveal this material to exhibit a nanospheric morphology, a high surface area (≈380 m² g^?1), and a porous structure (with micropores and mesopores). Characterization by aberration‐corrected high‐angle annular dark‐field scanning transmission electron microscopy and X‐ray absorption fine structure confirms the metal to be present as metal ISASs. This methodology is applicable to both noble and nonprecious metals (M‐ISAS/p‐CN, M = Co, Ni, Cu, Mn, Pd, etc.). In particular, the Co‐ISAS/p‐CN nanospheres obtained using this method show comparable (E_1/2 = 0.838 V) electrochemical oxygen reduction activity to commercial Pt/C with 20 wt% Pt loading (E_1/2 = 0.834 V) in alkaline media, superior methanol tolerance, and outstanding stability, even after 5000 cycles.     

Preparation of Pt/multiwalled carbon nanotubes modified Au electrodes via Pt–Cu co-electrodeposition/Cu stripping protocol for high-performance electrocatalytic oxidation of methanol

Pt nanoparticles well dispersed on multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were prepared for high-performance electrocatalytic oxidation of methanol in both acidic and alkaline media via the co-electrodeposition/stripping (CS) protocol, namely, co-electrodeposition of Pt and Cu followed by electrochemical stripping of Cu, as examined by cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The Pt catalyst prepared by the CS protocol on MWCNTs (Pt_cs/MWCNTs/Au) exhibited a specific electrocatalytic activity of 519 and 2210 A g⁻¹ toward cyclic voltammetric electrooxidation (50 mV s⁻¹) of methanol in 0.5 M CH₃OH + 0.5 M H₂SO₄ and 0.5 M CH₃OH + 1.0 M NaOH media, respectively, which are larger than those prepared by conventional electrodeposition from chloroplatinic acid on Au and MWCNTs/Au, as well as that by a CS protocol on Au. The Pt_cs/MWCNTs/Au electrode also possessed the highest stability, which maintained 91% and 90% of its initial catalytic activity after 120-cycle CV in 0.5 M CH₃OH + 0.5 M H₂SO₄ and 0.5 M CH₃OH + 1.0 M NaOH, respectively. The electrode kinetics of methanol oxidation is also briefly discussed. The nanosubstrate-based CS protocol is simple, convenient and efficient, which is expected to find wide applications in film electrochemistry and electrocatalysis.     

Controlled synthesis and growth of perfect platinum nanocubes using a pair of low-resistivity fastened silicon wafers and their electrocatalytic properties

Perfect platinum (Pt) nanocubes with high density have been synthesized by controlled reduction of hexachloroplatinic acid in the presence of H₂SO₄ and HCl, employing a pair of low-resistivity fastened silicon (FS) wafers at room temperature. The presence of the additive charges (induced by prior etching of the silicon surface with HF to remove any SiO₂ layer) between the interfaces of the FS surface results in a high charge density and facilitates fast deposition of Pt nanoparticles via electroless plating. The charge density, stirring time, and homogeneity of the aqueous solution influenced the geometrical shapes of the Pt nanoparticles. The parameters were finely tuned in order to control the nucleation and growth rates and obtain perfect Pt nanocubes. The perfect Pt nanocubes were single crystalline with exposed {100} facets. Per equivalent Pt surface areas, the perfect Pt nanocubes showed enhanced catalytic activity relative to truncated Pt nanocubes or spherical Pt nanoparticles for the electrooxidation of liquid feed fuels such as methanol and ethanol. Moreover, there a strong correlation was observed between the optical, electrical, thermal, magnetic, and catalytic properties of the perfect Pt nanocubes which should lead to a variety of technological applications of these materials.     

Highly dense and uniformly dispersed platinum nanoparticles on poly(acrylic acid) modified multi-walled carbon nanotubes for methanol oxidation

Poly(acrylic acid) modified multi-walled carbon nanotubes (PAA-MWNTs) were synthesized through in situ radical polymerization in acetone and the PAA-MWNTs were used as supporting material for platinum nanoparticles. Platinum nanoparticles were deposited on the surface of PAA-MWNTs with high loading and high dispersion through ethylene glycol reduction. The size of Pt nanoparticles on PAA-MWNTs can be tuned by the water content in the reaction system and the loading amount can be adjusted by the mass ratio of H₂PtCl₆ to PAA-MWNTs. The electrocatalytic properties of the Pt/PAA-MWNTs catalyst were evaluated by methanol oxidation. The results of cyclic voltammetry show that the Pt/PAA-MWNTs composite possesses high electrocatalytic activity, good long-term stability and storage property, which can be attributed to the small particle size and high dispersion of Pt nanoparticles as well as the nature of MWNTs.     

Promotion effect of nanosized Pt,RuO2 and NiOx loading on visible light-driven photocatalysts K4Ce2M10O30 (M = Ta,Nb) for hydrogen evolution from water decomposition

Metal oxide photocatalysts K₄Ce₂M₁₀O₃₀ (M = Ta, Nb) capable of responding to visible light were synthesized by conventional high temperature solid-state reaction. The photocatalysts have an appropriate band gap energy ca. 1.8–2.3 eV and excellent chemical potential level to evolve H₂ from aqueous solutions containing a sacrificial electron donor (Na₂SO₃) under visible light irradiation (λ>420 nm) without any co-catalyst. When they were loading with Pt, RuO₂ and NiO_x, the activities for evolving H2 were prompted markedly. By SEM and TEM investigations, it can be seen that these loading K₄Ce₂M₁₀O₃₀ (M = Ta, Nb) in diameter of about 10–30nm particles, especially the NiO_x loading even formed double layered structure with metal nickel (Ni) and metal oxide (NiO). The reasons for the increasing activities after these loading electron migrating from the conduction band of K₄Ce₂M₁₀O₃₀ (M =Ta, Nb) to the Pt, RuO₂ and NiO_x nanoparticles, which function as H₂ production sites on the surface of catalysts. The same phenomenon appears on the solid solution K₄Ce₂Ta_{10 –x}Nb_xO30 (x = 0–10) with loading RuO₂.     

Strong metal-support interactions (SMSIs) between Pt and Ti3+ on Pt/TiOx nanoparticles for enhanced degradation of organic pollutant

In this work, Pt nanoparticles were deposited onto the surface of Magnéli phase titanium suboxide (TiO_x) nanoparticles using a microwave-assisted deposition method. The effect of different concentrations of Pt nanoparticles was investigated to evaluate the strong metal-support interactions (SMSIs) between Pt and TiO_x based on their performance for the degradation of organic pollutant molecules. The adsorption and catalytic performance of the as-synthesized Pt/TiO_x nanoparticles were evaluated with respect to the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) molecules without any external energy source. The Pt/TiO_x nanoparticles with Pt loading at 10 wt% (10%Pt/TiO_x) exhibited a remarkable performance. The XPS, CV, and FTIR analyses confirmed the presence of RhB degradation reactions under dark condition. This remarkable performance of the Pt/TiO_x nanoparticles was attributed to the SMSIs between Pt and Ti³⁺ atoms, which improves their performance compared with Pt/TiO₂ nanoparticles, and high density of active sites due to their nanometer size, which results in better performance compared with that of Pt/TiO_x submicron particles.     

Preparation and characterization of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)–poly(styrene sulfonate) composite thin films highly loaded with platinum nanoparticles

In this work, we propose a simple and efficient, low-temperature (∼120 °C) process to prepare transparent thin films of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)–poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) loaded with high concentration (up to 22.5 wt%) of platinum (Pt) nanoparticles. Firstly, an improved polyol method was modified to synthesize nano-sized (∼5 nm) and mono-dispersed Pt particles. These nanoparticles were incorporated into the matrix of PEDOT:PSS thin films via a spin coating/drying procedure. The electrochemical activities of the PEDOT:PSS thin film modified electrodes with respect to the I⁻/I₃⁻ redox reactions were investigated. It was found that the modified electrode of PEDOT:PSS thin film containing 22.5 wt% Pt exhibited the electrochemical activity comparable to the conventional Pt thin film electrode, suggesting that this electrode has good potential to serve as a counter electrode in dye-sensitized solar cells.     

Tuning the Activity of Carbon for Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution via an Iridium‐Cobalt Alloy Core Encapsulated in Nitrogen‐Doped Carbon Cages

Graphene, a 2D material consisting of a single layer of sp²‐hybridized carbon, exhibits inert activity as an electrocatalyst, while the incorporation of heteroatoms (such as N) into the framework can tune its electronic properties. Because of the different electronegativity between N and C atoms, electrons will transfer from C to N in N‐doped graphene nanosheets, changing inert C atoms adjacent to the N‐dopants into active sites. Notwithstanding the achieved progress, its intrinsic activity in acidic media is still far from Pt/C. Here, a facile annealing strategy is adopted for Ir‐doped metal‐organic frameworks to synthesize IrCo nanoalloys encapsulated in N‐doped graphene layers. The highly active electrocatalyst, with remarkably reduced Ir loading (1.56 wt%), achieves an ultralow Tafel slope of 23 mV dec^?1 and an overpotential of only 24 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm^?2 in 0.5 m sulfuric acid solution. Such superior performance is even superior to the noble‐metal catalyst Pt. Surface structural and computational studies reveal that the superior behavior originates from the decreased ΔG_H* for HER induced by the electrons transferred from the alloy core to the graphene layers, which is beneficial for enhancing C? H binding.     

High performance films obtained from PVA/Na<Subscript>2</Subscript>SO<Subscript>4</Subscript>/H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O and PVA/CH<Subscript>3</Subscript>COONa/H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O systems

The atactic poly(vinyl alcohol) (a-PVA) aqueous solutions with Na₂SO₄ or CH₃COONa were cast to prepare films and then the Na₂SO₄ or CH₃COONa in the films was removed. Both films prepared by removing Na₂SO₄ or CH₃COONa in water had a water-resistance property. The degree of crystallization of the films increased with an increase of the contents of Na₂SO₄ and CH₃COONa in the solutions up to 0.05 and 0.1 wt%, respectively. However, the melting temperature (226–228°C) was independent of the content of Na₂SO₄ and CH₃COONa in the solutions. The draw ratio and tensile modulus of the films prepared from the solutions with 0.01 wt% Na₂SO₄ and 0.1 wt% CH₃COONa were 1.3–1.6 times more than that of the films obtained from an aqueous solution. Namely, in case of the films obtained from a-PVA/H₂O/Na₂SO₄ and a-PVA/H₂O/CH₃COONa systems, both the drawability and mechanical properties as well as the degree of crystallization were higher than those for the film obtained from an aqueous a-PVA solution.     

Fishbone-like platinum-nickel nanowires as an efficient electrocatalyst for methanol oxidation

Platinum (Pt)-based electrocatalyst with low Pt content and high electrocatalytic performance is highly desired in fuel cell applications. Herein, we demonstrated that platinum-nickel (Pt-Ni) nanowires with an average composition of PtNi₃ and a fishbone structure can be readily synthesized and used as an efficient electrocatalyst toward methanol oxidation reaction (MOR). The PtNi₃ fishbone-like nanowires (PtNi₃-FBNWs) present features such as richer Pt on the surface than in the bulk, high-index facets on the rough surface, and polyhedral facets at the ends of side chains. Such compositional and structural features could be determinative to the enhanced performance in the electrocatalysis of MOR. Compared with commercial 20% Pt/carbon black (Pt/C), the specific activity and mass activity of the PtNi₃-FBNWs are enhanced by approximately 4.76 and 3.02 times, respectively. The stability of electrocatalysis is significantly improved as well. Such comprehensive enhancement indicates that the PtNi₃-FBNWs would be a promising candidate toward MOR in fuel cells.

     

Facile Synthesis of Bimetallic Au@Pd Nanoparticles with Core-shell Structures on Graphene Nanosheets

In this paper, we report a simple one-step thermal reducing method for synthesis of bimetallic Au@Pd nanoparticles with core-shell structures on the graphene surface. This new type of Au@Pd-G composites is characterized by transmission electron microscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. It is found that Au@Pd nanoparticles with an average diameter of 11 nm are well dispersed on the graphene surface, and the Au core quantity as well as the Pd shell thickness can be quantitatively controlled by loading different amounts of metallic precursors, and the involved core-shell structure formation mechanism is also discussed. The ternary Pt/Au@Pd-G composites can also be synthetized by the subsequent Pt doping. The catalytic performance of Au@Pd-G composites toward methanol electro-oxidation in acidic media is investigated. The results show that Au@Pd-G composites exhibit higher catalytic activity, better stability and stronger tolerance to CO poisoning than Pd-G and Au-G counterparts.     

Direct Synthesis of Ultrathin Pt Nanowire Arrays as Catalysts for Methanol Oxidation

High‐performance electrocatalysts are of critical importance for fuel cells. Morphological modulation of the catalyst materials is a rare but feasible strategy to improve their performance. In this work, Pt nanowire arrays are directly synthesized with a template‐less wet chemical method. The effects of surface functionalization and the reduction kinetics are revealed to be vital to the nanowire growth. The growth mechanism of the Pt nanowires is studied. By adjusting the concentration of the organic ligands, Pt nanowire arrays with tunable surface roughness can be obtained on various substrate surfaces. Such arrays avoid the contact resistance of randomly packed particles and allow open diffusion channels for reactants and products alike, making them excellent electrocatalysts for the methanol oxidation reaction. In particular, Pt nanowire arrays with rough surface have a mass activity of 1.24 A mg_Pt^?1 at 1.12 V (vs Ag/AgCl), 3.18‐fold higher than that of the commercial Pt/C catalysts. It also shows more resistant against poisoning, as indicated by the higher I_f/I_b ratio (2.06), in comparison to the Pt/C catalysts (1.30).     

Microstructural and electrochemical properties of vertically aligned few layered graphene (FLG) nanoflakes and their application in methanol oxidation

Vertically aligned few layered graphene (FLG) nanoflakes were synthesised on silicon substrates by microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (MPECVD) method. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) shows that the structures have highly graphitized terminal planes of 1–3 layers of graphene. Raman spectroscopy revealed a narrow G band with a FWHM of ∼23 cm⁻¹ accompanied by a strong G′ (2D) band, with a FWHM of ∼43 cm⁻¹ and an I_G/I_G′ ratio of 1, which are all the characteristics of highly crystallized few layered graphene. The FLG electrodes demonstrate fast electron transfer (ET) kinetics for Fe(CN)₆^3−/4− redox system with an electron transfer rate, ΔE_p, of 60 mV. Platinum (Pt) nanoparticles of ∼6 nm diameter were deposited on as grown FLGs using magnetron DC sputtering for methanol oxidation studies. When used as electrodes for methanol oxidation, a mass specific peak current density of ∼62 mA mg⁻¹ cm⁻² of Pt is obtained with a high resistance to carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning as evident by a high value of 2.2 for the ratio of forward to backward anodic peak currents (I_f/I_b).