Electrochemical deposited high-crystallinity vertical platinum nanosheets onto the carbon nanotubes directly grown on carbon paper for methanol oxidation

- Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were directly grown on carbon paper as supporting material.
- Vertical platinum nanosheets (PtNSs) were deposited on CNTs by electrochemical method.
- Electrochemical active surface area of PtNSs/CNTs was 1.39 times better than that of Pt black.
- Mass activity of PtNSs/CNTs was 2.95 times better than that of Pt black.

In this study, the high-crystallinity vertical platinum nanosheets (PtNSs) were deposited onto the carbon nanotubes (CNTs) directly grown on the carbon paper (CP) as the PtNSs/CNTs/CP hybrid nanostructure to promote the electrocatlytic performance of methanol oxidation reaction (MOR). CNTs were initially synthesized on the carbon fibers of CP as catalyst supporting material by chemical vapor deposition method. Subsequently, PtNSs electrocatalysts with high activity were synthesized onto the CNTs surface by electrodeposition method. Scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction were employed to investrage the morphology and structural features of PtNSs/CNTs/CP. The Pt loading was examined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The electronic structures of PtNSs were examined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The electrocatalytic properties were examined by Cyclic Voltammetry method. Our work suggests that PtNSs/CNTs/CP electrode could provide higher surface area with a lower Pt content and show better crystalline than Pt Black. The catalytic efficiency of prepared PtNSs/CNTs/CP electrode, as determined by the electrochemical active surface area and the catalyst mass activity for the MOR, were 1.39 times and 2.95 times better than those of a commercial Pt-black catalyst, suggesting that PtNSs/CNTs/CP electrode might be a good candidate for catalyst of MOR.

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