Study on the co-catalytic effect of titanate nanotubes on Pt-based catalysts in direct alcohol fuel cells

In this paper, titanate nanotubes were synthesized and their co-catalytic effects in direct alcohol fuel cells (DAFC) were studied by physically mixing them with commercial Pt/C catalyst. BET results showed the surface area increased significantly when a big amount of nanotubes were formed. Infrared (IR) spectra and thermal gravity analysis (TGA) showed that less water existed in nanoparticles and nanotubes when the raw materials were calcinated at higher temperature. Electrochemical measurements showed that titanate nanotubes which contained more structural water had a better catalytic performance. Proton conductivity of titanate nanotubes was also considered to be an important factor for enhancing oxidation reactivity and was studied by impedance tests.