Dispersed platinum supported by hydrogen molybdenum bronze-modified carbon as electrocatalyst for methanol oxidation

A new electrocatalyst, Pt/H x MoO 3 -C, for methanol oxidation, was prepared by dispersing platinum nano-particles on Vulcan XC-72 modified by hydrogen molybdenum bronze (H x MoO 3 , 0 ≤ x ≤ 2). The modification of Vulcan XC-72 with H x MoO 3 on was accomplished by reducing the adsorbed molybdic acid and the platinum nano-particles were dispersed on the modified carbon by reducing chloroplatinic acid, with formaldehyde as the reductant. The prepared Pt/H x MoO 3 -C was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersion spectrometer, cyclic voltammetry (CV), chronoamperometry (CA), and single-cell test, with a comparison of the electrocatalyst, carbon-supported platinum (Pt/C) prepared under the same condition but without the modification. The results obtained from XRD and SEM showed that the modification of Vulcan XC-72 with H x MoO 3 reduced the platinum particle size and improved distribution uniformity of platinum on carbon. The results, obtained from CV, CA, and the single-cell test, showed that Pt/H x MoO 3 -C exhibited better electrocatalytic activity toward methanol oxidation than Pt/C.