Structure dependent electrooxidation of small organic molecules on Pt-decorated nanoporous gold membrane catalysts

We describe the electrocatalytic properties of self-supported Pt-decorated nanoporous gold (Pt-NPG) membranes towards the electrooxidation of formic acid and some other small organic molecules. By effectively enhancing the Pt utilization and providing a unique surface structure, the electrooxidation of formic acid on Pt-NPG was found to be highly sensitive to its surface structure. An unparalleled increase by nearly two orders of magnitude in catalytic activity was achieved on NPG electrodes decorated with sub-monolayer Pt atoms, as compared to the commercial Pt/C catalyst under the same testing conditions.