| Abstract: | Carbon supported Pt nanocatalysts are prepared using different room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) as the solvent and conventional preparation techniques, based on wet impregnation methods. The Pt/C nanocatalysts are characterized by XRD, TEM, EDX, and XPS. The results of the analyses show that the Pt/C catalysts, using different RTILs as solvents, are homogeneously dispersed with a narrow size distribution. The electro‐oxidation of liquid methanol on these catalysts is investigated at room temperature by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. The results have shown that the Pt/C catalysts prepared using RTILs are more active than the other Pt/C catalysts prepared by the authors. Surface area measurements of the Pt metal, conducted by electro‐oxidation of preadsorbed CO, indicate that catalysts prepared using RTILs as the solvents have higher surface area. The Pt/C nanocatalysts, prepared using RTILs, exhibit enhanced activity for the methanol oxidation reaction, compared with the Pt/C catalysts prepared by the impregnation method and commercial Pt/C catalysts. |
