Ordered PtSn/C Electrocatalyst: A High Performance Material for the Borohydride Electrooxidation Reaction

This work used a rotating disc electrode and quasi-steady state polarization curves to investigate the sodium borohydride electrooxidation of ordered intermetallic PtSn/C in alkaline solution. Under similar experimental conditions, PtSn/C proved to be a better electrocatalyst than Pt in an overall process that involved eight electrons. Assays performed in the presence of thiourea and S2- species evidenced that a chemical hydrolysis step took place, followed by electrochemical oxidation of the generated H-2. The results presented herein suggest that PtSn/C constitutes a promising electrode material for application in alkaline borohydride fuel cell.