Preparation and characterization of Pt/TiO2 nanofibers catalysts for methanol electro-oxidation

Pt/TiO2 nanofibers (Pt/T-NFs) composite catalysts are prepared through the combination of an electrospinning technique with a reductive impregnation method. Obtained samples are analyzed by various techniques, such as transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction, which reveal that 21 wt.% Pt/T-NFs sample has a homogeneous distribution of smaller Pt nanoparticles of about 4.5 nm in size on the TiO2 nanofibers surface without large aggregations. Electrochemical studies are carried out using cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry and CO stripping voltammetry, which indicate that 21 wt.% Pt/T-NFs catalyst has higher electrochemical surface area and much better activity for methanol electro-oxidation. All Pt/T-NFs catalysts have enhanced stability and CO tolerance for methanol electro-oxidation than commercial Pt/C. The results suggest that Pt/TiO2 nanofibers catalysts exhibit the better activity for methanol oxidation and are favorable for improving the tolerance to poisoning species.