Platinized mesoporous tungsten carbide for electrochemical methanol oxidation

Mesoporous WC with hexagonal crystal structure was synthesized by a surfactant-assisted polymer method. A new electrocatalyst composed of a small amount of Pt supported on the mesoporous WC exhibited higher activity for electrooxidation of methanol than microporous Pt/WC or Pt/W2C as well as commercial Pt-Ru(1:1)/C catalysts. The mesoporosity and the phase of WC appear important for the high activity. Compared to the commercial Pt-Ru/C catalyst, the Pt/WC (mesoporous) showed the higher activity per mass of Pt by a factor of six even without Ru. Since the catalyst is also stable in electrochemical environment, it could become an alternative electrocatalyst for direct methanol fuel cells. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reservedclose868