Increasing the three-phase boundary by a novel three-dimensional electrode

A novel three-dimensional electrode has been fabricated using polypyrrole (Ppy) coated polystyrene spheres (PS) covered by a platinum catalyst. This new type of porous structured electrode allows liquid alcohol to penetrate the catalyst layer quite easily thereby reducing the liquid sealing effect. The chosen approach results in an increased active surface area for electrochemical reactions. Preliminary studies show an improved performance for methanol oxidation on a three-dimensional electrode compared to a conventionally prepared electrode with the same platinum loading. (c) 2004 Published by Elsevier B.V.