RuO2–SnO2 nanocomposite electrodes for methanol electrooxidation

The RuO2–SnO2 nanostructured electrodes for methanol electrooxidation are prepared by means of colloidal synthetic method. Using X-ray diffraction method and transmission electron microscopy, it is observed that the crystallinity of nanocomposite supports is increased with heat treatment due to an increased crystallinity of SnO2 and RuO2 nanophases with ∼5 nm in size. In the case of the RuSnO2 supported catalysts, Pt nanocatalysts with ∼3 nm in size are well dispersed and mixed with RuSnO2 nanocomposite supports. Using an electrochemical and thermogravimetric analysis, it is found that the RuSnO2 supported catalysts show an excellent catalytic activity and stability in comparison with Vulcan XC-72 supported catalyst. Furthermore, compared to the Pt catalyst supported by as-prepared RuSnO2, the Pt catalyst supported by RuSnO2 heated at 400 °C displays an excellent catalytic activity and stability, which could be due to an increased crystallinity caused by heat treatment.