Platinum and platinum-ruthenium nanoparticles supported on ordered mesoporous carbon and their electrocatalytic performance for fuel cell reactions

Highly ordered meso-porous carbon, denoted CMK-3 was synthesized by using mesoporous silicates, SBA-15 as the starting templating materials. The ordered mesoporous carbon was loaded with platinum and platinum-ruthenium nanoparticles using alternative synthesis techniques. The metal loaded ordered mesoporous carbon powders were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), X-ray diffraction, and nitrogen adsorption isotherm experiments. Micrometer-scale and centimeter-scale electrodes containing the mesocarbon/nanometal electrocatalysts were tested for some typical fuel cell reactions. While the nanometal/mesocarbon catalysts have well-defined and uniform properties in the nanometer scale, they have mixed electrocatalytic performance. A synthesized Pt/mesocarbon electrocatalyst outperformed a commercial electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction on a gas-diffusion electrode. The Pt-Ru/mesocarbon electrocatalyst synthesized, however, was not as effective for methanol oxidation.