Electrochemical preparation of Pt-based ternary alloy catalyst for direct methanol fuel cell anode

The CoPtRu catalyst was prepared with electrochemical methods on carbon paper. The preparation of Co particles on the carbon paper was performed through an electrodeposition process by varying the deposition potential and time. After Co electrodeposition, Pt and Ru galvanic displacements were carried out by controlling displacement time. The bulk and surface composition of the catalysts were analyzed by using inductively coupled plasma (ICP) mass spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. It was proved that the CoPtRu catalyst was successfully synthesized using the electrochemical process. In this study, the electrochemically prepared catalysts showed superior catalytic activity for methanol oxidation and tolerance to CO poisoning compared to a commercial PtRu/C catalyst (E-tek).