ChemElectroChem
ChemElectroChem
5 years ago

Electroless Synthesis of Highly Stable and Free-Standing Porous Pt Nanotube Networks and their Application in Methanol Oxidation

Electroless Synthesis of Highly Stable and Free-Standing Porous Pt Nanotube Networks and their Application in Methanol Oxidation
Wolfgang Ensinger, Falk Muench, Markus Antoni, Thomas Späth, Torsten Walbert
Free-standing 3D metal nanostructures represent an upcoming class of electrocatalysts for fuel cell technology, combining high aging stability and activity with efficient metal utilization while abstaining from additives such as polymer binders. Until now, most fabrication routes are complex and produce disordered nanostructures. Here, we present a highly adjustable, wet-chemical synthesis route toward ordered, thin-walled Pt nanotube networks. The approach includes an optimized electroless plating procedure and enables easy regulation of structural parameters (i. e. nanotube diameter, wall thickness, density) by using ion track-etched polycarbonate templates. In comparison to individual nanotubes, the resulting nanonetworks exhibit a free-standing and robust frame, which is a great advantage for use in various electrochemical and catalytic applications. Cyclic voltammetry studies of the methanol oxidation reaction demonstrate enhanced electrocatalytic activity compared to commercially available Pt nanoparticles. The nanonetworks provide outstanding long-life stability with up to 97 % of the initial active surface area after 1000 cycles, which makes them a promising material in different application fields, for example, in direct methanol fuel cells. Porous but highly stable: Catalysts need to be efficient, but also stable! Three-dimensional interconnection of thin-walled Pt nanotubes is able to combine those properties. By applying an optimized template-assisted electroless plating procedure, a branched and nanostructured geometry with easily accessible porosity is generated, resulting in a highly active methanol oxidation catalyst with an extremely robust architecture.

Publisher URL: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/resolve/doi

DOI: 10.1002/celc.201701271

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