Facile Preparation of an Excellent Pt/RuO(2)-MnO(2)/CNTs Nanocatalyst for Anodes of Direct Methanol Fuel Cells

RuO(2)-MnO(2) complex supported by multi-wall carbon nanotubes (CNTs) was firstly synthesised by the oxidation-reduction precipitation of RuCl(3) and KMnO(4) in one step. Then Pt was loaded onto the obtained RuO(2)-MnO(2)/CNTs to fabricate a novel anodic catalyst Pt/RuO(2)-MnO(2)/CNTs for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). The catalyst was characterised by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), temperature programmed reduction (TPR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and BET specific surface areas (BET). Pt nanoparticles were found uniformly dispersed on the surface of CNTs, with the average diameter of about 2.0 nm. The activities of methanol and CO electrocatalytic oxidation were analysed, and the reaction mechanism of methanol electro-oxidation on Pt/RuO(2)MnO(2)/CNTs catalyst was discussed. The MnO(2) in the catalysts improves the proton conductivity and electrochemical active surface area (EAS) for the catalysts. RuO(2) improves the CO oxidation activity and Pt dispersion. CNTs provide effectively electron channels. Thus, the Pt/RuO(2)-MnO(2)/CNTs catalyst has high utilisation of the noble metal Pt, high CO oxidation ability and excellent methanol electro-oxidation activity, being an outstanding anode catalyst for DMFC