Pt electrodeposited on CeZrO4/MCNT as a new alternative catalyst for enhancement of ethanol oxidation

Electrocatalytic preparation of Pt-based nanocomposites has been investigated for improvement of direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs). In this study, new alternative catalysts of Pt-decorated cerium zirconium oxide-modified multiwalled carbon nanotubes (Pt/CeZrO₄/MCNT) were successively prepared to improve the activity of the ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR). The prepared CeZrO₄ with a face-centered cubic (fcc) structure compatibly dispersed onto MCNT provides abundant active Pt sites for highly active catalysts. The fcc-structured Pt was also satisfactorily decorated onto CeZrO₄/MCNT, resulting in highly active Pt. The Ce⁴⁺/Ce³⁺ redox property can promote oxygen vacancies to improve the electrochemical activity for oxidation of carbonaceous species. An increase in roughness and a stabilized catalyst structure can also be produced by inserting Zr⁴⁺ into the ceria metal oxide. The prepared Pt/20%CeZrO₄/MCNT catalysts present excellent electrochemical active surface area, mass activity, CO tolerance and high electron kinetic transfer with low resistance and high stability over commercial PtRu/C toward EOR. This promising catalyst material could be introduced to enhance the anodic oxidation reaction in DEFCs.