Self-Supported PtAuP Alloy Nanotube Arrays with Enhanced Activity and Stability for Methanol Electro-Oxidation

Inhibiting CO formation can more directly address the problem of CO poisoning during methanol electro-oxidation. In this study, 1D self-supported porous PtAuP alloy nanotube arrays (ANTAs) are synthesized via a facile electro-codeposition approach and present enhanced activity and improved resistance to CO poisoning through inhibiting CO formation (non-CO pathway) during the methanol oxidation reaction in acidic medium. This well-controlled Pt-/transition metal-/nonmetal ternary nanostructure exhibits a specific electroactivity twice as great as that of PtAu alloy nanotube arrays and Pt/C. At the same time, PtAuP ANTAs show a higher ratio of forward peak current density (I_f ) to backward peak current density (I_b ) (2.34) than PtAu ANTAs (1.27) and Pt/C (0.78). The prominent I_f /I_b value of PtAuP ANTAs indicates that most of the intermediate species are electro-oxidized to carbon dioxide in the forward scan, which highlights the high electroactivity for methanol electro-oxidation.