Platinum Nanoparticles Deposited on Oxygen-Containing Functional Groups at Carbon Vulcane XC-72 as a Cathode Catalyst for Direct Methanol Fuel Cell

Surface oxidized carbon vulcane XC-72 is prepared as catalyst support and platinumnanoparticles are chemically anchored onto the modified surface. The nanoparticles of Pt weresynthesized by reduction of H2PtCl6 with sodium borohydride in a 5.5 M buffer solution ofsodium citrate; the complexation of citrate with metal ions is beneficial to the formation ofnanoparticles. The electro-oxidation of liquid methanol of this catalyst as a thin layer on glassycarbon electrode is investigated at room temperature by cyclic voltammetery. The results showthat surface oxidized carbon vulcane support allows to obtain higher power density (about threetimes higher) in comparison to carbon vulcane XC-72 based electro catalyst.