Pt nanoparticles supported on a novel electrospun polyvinyl alcohol-CuOCo3O4/chitosan based on Sesbania sesban plant as an electrocatalyst for direct methanol fuel cells

Here, novel polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanofibers with incorporated CuO and Co₃O₄ nanoparticles (PVA-CuOCo₃O₄) were synthesized through a conventional single-nozzle electrospinning technique and characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), elemental analysis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), differential thermal analysis (DTA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Novel Pt/polyvinyl alcohol-CuOCo₃O₄/chitosan (Pt/PVA-CuOCo₃O₄/CH) catalyst was successfully prepared. EDX, TEM, and FT-IR spectroscopy techniques were used to characterize the prepared catalysts. The electrocatalytic activity of Pt/PVA-CuOCo₃O₄/CH catalyst was investigated for methanol electrooxidation through cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry, CO stripping voltammetry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy techniques. The effects of some experimental factors for methanol electrooxidation were studied on the prepared catalysts and the optimum conditions were determined. Pt/PVA-CuOCo₃O₄/CH catalyst had extraordinary electrocatalytic activity for methanol electrooxidation. It exhibited better stability, higher electrochemically active surface area, and better antipoisoning effect than Pt/PVA-CuOCo₃O₄ and Pt/PVA/CH catalysts indicating that Pt/PVA-CuOCo₃O₄/CH could be a promising catalyst for direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) applications. A real DMFC was designed, assembled and tested with Pt/PVA-CuOCo₃O₄/CH as anodic catalyst.