Synthesis of Pt+SnO2/C electrocatalysts containing Pt nanoparticles with preferential (100) orientation for direct ethanol fuel cell

•Pt+SnO2/C electrocatalyst containing Pt nanoparticles with preferential (100) orientation.•KBr used as shape directing agent.•No organic compounds were used as stabilizers and/or shape directing agents.•Superior power densities and CO2 selectivity for Direct Ethanol Fuel Cell.

The synthesis of Pt + SnO2/C electrocatalyst containing cubic Pt nanoparticles with preferential (100) orientation was performed by an alcohol-reduction process using KBr as a shape directing agent. The order of addition of the Pt and Sn precursors and KBr was crucial to obtain cubic Pt particles and a SnO2 phase with small particle sizes highly dispersed on the carbon support. Electrochemical and DEFC experiments showed that Pt + SnO2/C electrocatalyst containing Pt nanoparticles with preferential (100) orientation provided superior activity for EOR, power densities and CO2 selectivity compared to Pt + SnO2/C electrocatalyst containing Pt polycrystalline.

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