Novel Pt nanoclusters/titanium dioxide nanotubes composites for hydrazine oxidation

Pt nanoclusters/titanium dioxide nanotubes (nano-Pt/TiO2-NTs) composites were successfully prepared using TiO2-NTs as supports. The structure and morphology of the resulting composites were characterized. The results showed Pt nanoclusters with the size ranging from 15 to 20 nm were well dispersed on the surface of TiO2-NTs. The electrocatalytic properties of nano-Pt/TiO2-NTs composites for hydrazine oxidation were firstly investigated on the corresponding modified glassy carbon electrode by cyclic voltammetry (CV). The resulting nano-Pt/TiO2-NTs composites showed excellent electrocatalytic activity. This may be attributed to the small particle size and good dispersion of Pt nanoclusters as well as the unique properties of TiO2-NTs supports. In addition, the mechanism of hydrazine electrochemical oxidation on Pt/TiO2-NTs are also investigated. The results imply that TiO2-NTs are the promising supporting materials for noble catalysts with high activity. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.