Abundant oxygen vacancies Ce-doped TiO2 supported Pt nanoparticles for high-efficiency photoelectrocatalytic methanol oxidation

In electrocatalysis, the expensive Pt catalysts are prone to poisoning, but the interface interaction between Pt and carrier is expected to overcome poisoning and improve catalytic activity. The key is to design efficient carriers. Herein, a Ce-doped TiO2 carrier with oxygen vacancies loaded Pt nanoparticles (Ce-TiO2/Pt) was prepared by sol-gel and subsequent chemical reduction. Ce-TiO2/Pt nanocomposite catalysts are characterized by various techniques such as SEM, TEM, XRD, XPS, EPR, UV-vis DRS, BET, and electrochemistry. As-prepared Ce-TiO2/Pt exhibited electrocatalytic activity of 2070 mA mg(-1) towards methanol oxidation in an alkaline medium, and the catalytic performance was significantly enhanced to 5505 mA mg(-1) under light conditions. Compared to TiO2/Pt and commercial JM Pt/C catalysts, the superior photoelectrocatalytic activity, poisoning-tolerance ability, and long-term stability of Ce-TiO2/Pt was mostly responsible for the rise in oxygen vacancies, optimization of the electronic structure, and favorable control of morphology after Ce doping. This study provides a new pathway for advancing low-cost, durable, exceptional-performance catalysts for direct methanol fuel cell.