Controllable fabrication of ordered Pt nanorod array as catalytic electrode for passive direct methanol fuel cells

The nanostructure of the catalytic electrode has a great effect on the performance of direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs), including catalyst utilization, precious metal loading, water balance, and oxygen mass transfer. In this work, ordered arrays of platinum nanorods with different diameters were directly grown onto microporous layers by electrodeposition via a sacrificial template, and were used as the catalytic cathode for passive DMFCs. The use of these ordered electrodes led to a dramatic decrease in cathode polarization behavior. The maximum power density of passive DMFCs fabricated with catalytic electrodes of 200 and 100 nm Pt nanorod arrays were 17.3 and 12.0 mW/cm2, respectively. The obtained improvement in performance was ascribed to the fact that the ordered nanostructured electrode not only increased the electrochemically active surface area and the catalyst utilization, but also enhanced oxygen mass transfer and water balance in the system.

Graphical AbstractOrdered arrays of platinum nanorods with different diameters were directly grown onto microporous layers by electrodeposition with a sacrificial template, and used as the catalytic cathode for passive DMFCs. The application of such an ordered electrode as the catalytic electrode led to a dramatic decrease in cathode polarization behavior.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide