A linear molecule functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes with well dispersed PtRu nanoparticles for ethanol electro-oxidation

The performance-enhanced PtRu electrocatalysts derived from polyoxyethylene bis(amine) functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (POB-MWCNTs) were fabricated by electrostatic self-assembly technology, in which Pt and Ru precursors were first uniformly distributed on the POB-functionalized MWCNT surface via the electrostatic interaction and then reduced in situ to PtRu nanoparticles in ethylene glycol-water solution. In this process, POB as the wrapping molecule not only preserves the integrity and well dispersion of MWCNTs, but also facilitates the even distribution of PtRu nanoparticles on the surface of MWCNTs. The structure and catalytic properties of the PtRu catalysts were characterized by various spectroscopic techniques such as FT-IR, Raman, TGA, XPS, TEM and XRD spectrometry, and the electrocatalytic properties for ethanol oxidation were investigated by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. It was revealed that the as-prepared PtRu catalysts possess a high electrocatalytic activity and stability for the electro-oxidation of ethanol, and it provides a facile and eco-friend approach to large-scale production of high performance fuel cell eletrocatalysts.

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► PtRu nanoparticles with 1–3 nm size uniformly deposited on MWCNTs wrapped by linear POB.
► POB is used as an effective cross linker between MWCNTs and precursors of Pt and Ru ions.
► POB can preserve the integrity and the electronic structure of MWCNTs.
► The PtRu/POB-MWCNTs catalyst shows excellent performance for ethanol electro-oxidation.