Ultrafine Pt nanoparticles supported on double -shelled C/TiO 2 hollow spheres material as highly efficient methanol oxidation catalysts

Catalyst support is extremely important for future fuel cell devices. In this work, we developed double-shelled C/TiO2 (DSCT) hollow spheres as an excellent catalyst support via a template-directed method. The combination of hollow structure, TiO2 shell and carbon layer results in excellent electron conductivity, electrocatalytic activity, and chemical stability. These uniformed DSCT hollow spheres are used as catalyst support to synthesize Pt/DSCT hollow spheres electrocatalyst. The resulting Pt/DSCT hollow spheres exhibited high catalytic performance with a current density of 462 mA mg−1 for methanol oxidation reaction, which is 2.52 times higher than that of the commercial Pt/C. Furthermore, the increased tolerance to carbonaceous poisoning with a higher If/Ib ratio and a better long-term stability in acid media suggests that the DSCT hollow sphere is a promising C/TiO2-based catalyst support for direct methanol fuel cells applications. © 2020