One-Pot Synthesis of Platinum-Ceria/Graphene Nanosheet as Advanced Electrocatalysts for Alcohol Oxidation

A three-component platinum-ceria/graphene nanosheet hybrid (Pt-CeO2-x/GNS) was prepared through a facile one-pot synthesis method and examined as an electrocatalysts for alcohol (methanol, ethanol, ethylene glycol, and glycerol) oxidation. The structures of the catalysts were characterized by using transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It was found that ultrafine Pt particles were intimately deposited at the interface of the CeO2-x and GNS support, resulting in the formation of abundant Pt-CeO2-x/GNS triple junctions in the hybrid. XPS results indicated a strong metal-support interaction in the catalyst. It was demonstrated that Pt-CeO2-x/GNS showed superior catalytic performance in comparison with the Pt/GNS catalyst. The superior catalytic performance of the Pt-CeO2-x/GNS catalyst was attributed to the presence of Pt-CeO2-x/GNS triple junctions, which facilitated the synergistic effects of the constituents.