Carbon aerogel supported Pt–Ru catalysts for using as the anode of direct methanol fuel cells

A carbon aerogel (CA) loaded with platinum nanoparticles can achieve good catalytic performance in proton exchange membrane fuel cells. Pt–Ru bimetallic nanoparticles were loaded onto a carbon aerogel through a simple process. The PtRu/CA achieved good cell performance when used as a direct methanol fuel cell anode catalyst. The advantages of carbon aerogel may be attributed to the mesopore structure that can facilitate the mass transportation in the electrode. The Ru content in the catalyst has a great influence on its performance. The PtRu/CA with 25 at.% Ru achieves the best cell performance at 30 °C.