Support Shape Effect on the Catalytic Performance of Pt/CeO2 Nanostructures for Methanol Electrooxidation

•Polyhedral, cubic and rod-like nanosize CeO2 supported Pt catalysts were prepared.•Electrooxidation of methanol on different Pt/CeO2 catalysts was examined.•CeO2 nanorods supported Pt particles showed the highest electrocatalytic activity.•Support-shape-dependent catalytic activity of Pt/CeO2 was addressed.

Polyhedral, cubic, and rod-like CeO2 nanostructures have been selectively synthesized and used as supports for Pt nanoparticles. The structures of Pt/CeO2, specially the exposed crystallographic facets of different CeO2 nanosupports, have been investigated by electron microscopy. A shape change induced variation of the exposed facets on CeO2 surface has been confirmed. In methanol electrooxidation, Pt/CeO2 particles have been found to acquire a generally improved and, more importantly, support-shape-dependent electrocatalytic activity. Pt nanoparticles earn the best activity on CeO2 nanorods while they gain the poorest activity on CeO2 nanopolyhedra. The result, indeed, reveals a fact that the {110} and {100} over {111} planes on ceria surface possess a superiority in improving the electrocatalytic performance of their supported Pt nanoparticles.