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Improving the Performance of Platinum Nanocrystal Catalysts by Square‐wave Potential Electrochemical Pretreatment
Author(s) -
Zheng L.,
Sun J.,
Xiong L.,
Jin R.,
Li J.,
Li X.,
Zheng D.,
Liu Q.,
Niu L.,
Yang S.,
Xia J.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
fuel cells
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.485
H-Index - 69
eISSN - 1615-6854
pISSN - 1615-6846
DOI - 10.1002/fuce.200900147
Subject(s) - nanocrystal , electrochemistry , platinum , materials science , catalysis , adsorption , methanol , desorption , chemical engineering , hydrogen , inorganic chemistry , nanotechnology , electrode , chemistry , organic chemistry , engineering
Cube‐shaped Pt nanocrystals (with the size of about 160 nm) are prepared by a square‐wave potential electrochemical pretreatment at the expense of Pt nanospheres. A cyclic voltammogram of Pt nanospheres in sulphuric acid shows two pairs of hydrogen adsorption/desorption peaks, which corresponds to the characteristics of a Pt polyoriented surface. However, a cyclic voltammogram of cubic Pt nanocrystals in sulphuric acid shows another pair of hydrogen adsorption/desorption peak at 0.22 V ( vs. NHE), which corresponds to the characteristics of Pt (100) surface orientation. Cubic Pt nanocrystals show enhanced electrocatalytic activity over Pt nanospheres for methanol oxidation. The peak current density of cubic Pt nanocrystals is 1.39 mA cm –2 Pt , which is 1.48 times that of Pt nanospheres. The poison resistant and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity of cubic Pt nanocrystals are also enhanced compared with those of Pt nanospheres.