Electro-oxidation of methanol on mixed catalysts based on platinum and organic metal complexes in acidic media

New electro-catalysts were developed based on platinum and organic metal complexes for methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) in acidic media. As complexes nitrogen containing ligands such as N,N′-bis(salicylidene)ethylenediamine (salen), N,N′-bis(salicylidene)phenylenediamine (salophen), N,N′-mono-8-quinolyl-o-phenylenediamine (mqph) and N,N′-bis(anthranilidene)ethylenediamine (anthen), coordinated to V, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Mo, Pd and Sn were synthesized and tested. Mixture of platinum tetraammine complex with one of the organic metal complexes with 50/50 mixing ratio was supported on carbon powder, and heat-treated at 400-700 °C in argon atmosphere. Powder, thus obtained was put on a glassy carbon disk electrode, and tested for electrochemical MOR in sulfuric acid solutions. Among catalysts tested, Fe(salen), VO(salen), Ni(mqph) or Pd(mqph) turned out to be good co-catalysts mixed with Pt for MOR. Compared with platinum-ruthenium alloy catalysts, the new catalysts showed very promising catalytic ability. It is inferred that after the heat treatment, the organic complex catalyst played a role in mitigating CO poisoning on Pt surface.