Efficient stabilization of in situ fabrication of PtxPd1-x nanostructures for electro-oxidation of methanol in alkaline medium

Different binary PtxPd1-x alloys supported on Vulcan carbon XC-72R were synthesized by the displacement of ligands from organometallic compounds to be used as anodic electrode for methanol electro-oxidation in alkaline medium. The influence of the Pd addition during the synthesis of PtxPd1-x alloys in presence of octylamine as stabilizer was analyzed in terms of structure, chemical composition and electroactivity in the methanol oxidation reaction. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis showed that the surface of the electrodes consisted of a metallic mixture and oxide states, which confirmed the change in the electronic properties during the alloy formation. The current density of Pt30Pd70/C during CV measurements was about 2.1 times higher than the one observed with Pt/C electrodes. The CO tolerance was also slightly improved under similar conditions. The work findings indicate that stabilized Pt30Pd70/C binary alloys can be used to design highly active anodic catalysts with potential applications in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). (C) 2019 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.