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Updated: Dec 20, 2025
Tuning the Acidity of Pt/ CNTs Catalysts for Hydrodeoxygenation of Diphenyl Ether
Published on: August 17, 2019
Au Nanoparticles Modified with Pt, Ru and SnO2 as Electrocatalysts for Ethanol Oxidation Reaction in Acids
Kumar Siddharth1, Zelong Xing1, Fei Xiao1
1Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
Abstract:
The anodic reaction in direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs), ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) faces challenges, such as incomplete electrooxidation of ethanol and high cost of the most efficient electrocatalyst, Pt in acidic media at low temperature. In this study, core-shell electrocatalysts with an Au core and Pt-based shell (Au@Pt) are developed. The Au core size and Pt shell thickness play an important role in the EOR activity. The Au size of 2.8 nm and one layer of Pt provide the most optimized performance, having 6 times higher peak current density in contrast to commercial Pt/C. SnO2 as a support also enhances the EOR activity of Au@Pt by 1.73 times. Further modifying the Pt shell with Ru atoms achieve the highest EOR current density that is 15 and 2.5 times of Pt/C and Au@Pt. Our results suggest the importance of surface modification in rational design of advanced electrocatalysts.
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