Organic Solvent’s Effect in the Deposition of Platinum Particles on MWCNTs for Oxygen Reduction Reaction

Abstract EN

We reported the synthesis of platinum particles anchored on the surface of multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs).

The synthesis of platinum particles was carried out by microemulsion method using hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as surfactant to enhance the dispersion of platinum particles in hexane (C6), heptane (C7), and octane (C8) solutions.

The effects of the microemulsion dispersion medium on the synthesis of platinum particles on MWCNTs (MWCNT/Pt) hybrid materials and their catalytic activities of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in HClO4 were investigated.

The anchored platinum particles showed good dispersion on carbon nanotubes surface with the average particle sizes of 2.65 ± 0.60 , 2.89 ± 0.68 , and 0.97 ± 0.29 nm for the dispersion medium of C6, C7, and C8, respectively.

The experimental results of ORR experiments indicated a relationship between the size and the dispersion media of the platinum particles; also the catalytic activity of the anchored platinum on MWCNT particles strongly depends on the dispersion medium employed in the microemulsion process.