Enhanced electrocatalytic activity and durability of Pt nanoparticles supported on ordered bimodal mesoporous carbon nanowires

Ordered bimodal mesoporous carbon nanowires (OMCWs) is prepared from dual templates that were fabricated by filling silica nanospheres in the channels of porous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes. The prepared OMCWs material exhibits a large surface area (876.7 m2 g−1), ordered large mesoporous (30 nm) nanostructure and small mesopores on the large mesopore walls. Pt nanoparticles are deposited on OMCWs to form Pt/OMCWs electrocatalyst for methanol oxidation reaction (MOR). In Pt/OMCWs, Pt nanoparticles (∼1.8 nm) are uniformly located on the OMCWs. The Pt/OMCWs catalyst possesses larger electrochemically active surface area (ECSA) (93.3 m2 g−1), higher activity for MOR and better durability compared with the commercial Pt/C catalyst. The good electrochemical performance of Pt/OMCWs is ascribed to the unique bimodal mesoporous structure that could facilitate the rapid mass transfer and enhanced the dispersion of Pt nanoparticles and the one-dimensional structure that could enhance the electron transport.