Highly dispersed Pt nanoparticles on mesoporous carbon nanofibers prepared by two templates

Ordered mesoporous carbon nanofibers (MCNFs) were synthesized through the hard template of AAO (anodic aluminum oxide) membrane together with the soft template of block copolymer surfactant F127 (PEO106-PPO70-PEO106). Meanwhile, ordered mesoporous carbons (OMCs) were prepared through the soft template during the same procedure. The TEM images of the MCNFs show highly ordered parallel channels and regularly circular pore structure. The MCNFs and OMCs as supports for loading Pt nanoparticles were prepared via microwave synthesis process. The electrochemical properties of the two catalysts and the commercial catalyst Pt/C(E-TEK), which is used for comparison, were studied by cyclic voltammogram at room temperature. The results reveal that the catalyst using mesoporous carbon nanofibers as support has excellent electrochemical performance for hydrogen and methanol electro-oxidation. The electrochemical active surface of Pt particles for the Pt/MCNFs in sulfuric acid solution reaches a peak value of 235.2 m(2)/g, which is about four times that of Pt/OMCs and twice that of Pt/C(E-TEK). Besides, the PUMCNFs catalyst with higher current density, higher i(a)/i(b) in the methanol solution, exhibits higher activity than the other two catalysts for methanol electro-oxidation.