Electrocatalytic oxidation of methanol at lower potentials on glassy carbon electrode modified by platinum and platinum alloys incorporated in poly(o-aminophenol) film

The electrocatalytic oxidation of methanol at a glassy. carbon electrode modified by a thin film of poly(o-aminophenol) (PoAP) containing Pt, Pt-Ru and Pt-Sn microparticles has been investigated using cyclic voltammetry as analytical technique and 0.10 M perchloric acid as supporting electrolyte. It has been shown that the presence of PoAP film increases considerably the efficiency of deposited Pt microparticles toward the oxidation of methanol. The catalytic activity of Pt particles is further enhanced when Ru or specially Sn is co-deposited in the polymer film. The effects of various parameters such as the thickness of polymer film, concentration of methanol, medium temperature as well as the long term stability of modified electrodes have also been investigated.