Carbon nanotubes as catalyst supports for ethanol oxidation

Multiwalled carbon nanotubes were obtained by chemical vapor deposition of xylene–ferrocene and employed as supports for PtSn alloy nanoparticles synthesized by the polyol method. The same metal alloy catalyst was also supported on Vulcan XC-72R to compare the influence of the substrate on the catalyst behavior for ethanol oxidation.The physical characterization of the carbon samples and supported alloy catalysts was performed by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.Ethanol oxidation was chosen as a reaction model to study the electrocatalytic behavior of the supported PtSn nanoparticles. Cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy were used for the electrochemical characterization. The PtSn/MWNT electrodes show a better catalytic behavior for ethanol oxidation than PtSn/Vulcan XC-72R electrodes.