A highly active, stable and synergistic Pt nanoparticles/Mo2C nanotube catalyst for methanol electro-oxidation

Poor electrocatalytic activity and carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning of the anode in Pt-based catalysts are still two major challenges facing direct methanol fuel cells. Herein, we demonstrate a highly active and stable Pt nanoparticle/Mo2C nanotube catalyst for methanol electro-oxidation. Pt nanoparticles were deposited on Mo2C nanotubes using a controllable atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique. This catalyst showed much higher catalytic activity for methanol oxidation and superior CO tolerance, when compared with those of the conventional Pt/C and PtRu/C catalysts. The experimental evidence from X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectroscopy and scanning transmission X-ray microscopy clearly support a strong chemical interaction between the Pt nanoparticles and Mo2C nanotubes. Our studies show that the existence of Mo2C not only minimizes the required Pt usage but also significantly enhances CO tolerance and thus improves their durability. These results provide a promising strategy for the design of highly active next-generation catalysts.