Ordered uniform porous carbons as a catalyst support in a direct methanol fuel cell

Ordered uniform porous carbon frameworks were synthesized against removable colloidal silica crystalline templates by carbonization of phenol and formaldehyde as a carbon precursor in the presence of sulfuric acid. These highly ordered uniform porous carbons when used as a catalyst support, resulted in much improved catalytic activity for methanol oxidation in fuel cell probably due to their three-dimensionally interconnected uniform pore structures and high surface areas. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.