Synthesis of graphitic mesoporous carbon from sucrose as a catalyst support for ethanol electro-oxidation

Graphitic mesoporous carbon (GMC) has been prepared with non-toxic and economical sucrose as the carbon precursor and mesoporous iron oxide as a catalyst at a relatively low carbonization temperature. XRD patterns suggest that GMC is formed by a carbide intermediate. The data of nitrogen sorption exhibit that the GMC possesses a mesoporous structure. Pt nanoparticles are uniformly loaded on the graphitic mesoporous carbon by a facile and effective microwave assisted ethylene glycol process. All the results show that the graphitic mesoporous carbon-supported Pt nanoparticles have superior electrocatalytic properties compared to Vulcan XC-72 and CMK-3 catalyst supports, suggesting this novel and general method will have a bright future in fuel cell applications.