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Structural and electrochemical characterization of TiO2/Pt hybrid catalyst system for direct bio-ethanol fuel cell

A. BANU1, N. SPATARU2, V. S. TEODORESCU3,* , A. V. MARALOIU3, I. VOICULESCU1, A. M. MARCU2, T. SPATARU2

Affiliation

  1. University Polytehnica Bucharest, Faculty IMST, Splaiul Independenţei 313, Bucharest, Romania
  2. Institute of Physical Chemistry “ I.G.Murgulescu” Romanian Academy, 202, Splaiul Independenţei, 060021, Bucharest 6, Romania
  3. National Institute of Materials Physics, Atomiştilor 105bis, 077125 Bucharest-Măgurele, Romania

Abstract

This paper is focused on preparation and microstructure and electrochemical characterization of carbon-TiO2/Pt catalyst used as electrode in fuel cells applications. The platinum deposition was comparatively studied on graphitized carbon substrate and carbon substrate covered with titanium oxide. A strong influence on the platinum deposition, depending of the TiO2 presence, was found. The platinum nanoparticles about 5 nm in size are dispersed in aggregates of 50 to 100 nm on the catalyst surface. This dispersion is strongly affected by the titanium oxide and the substrate porosity. The Pt/TiO2/G and Pt/G electrodes were tested for their catalytic activity in the oxidation of ethanol. The prepared Pt/TiO2/G electrode show higher active surface area than for the Pt/G electrode, this increase in the surface area could be explained to be due to a spreading of wetting or the formation of new active sites at the Pt/oxide interface..

Keywords

TiO2/Pt catalyst, Electron microscopy, Electrochemical characterization.

Submitted at: April 15, 2010
Accepted at: May 26, 2010

Citation

A. BANU, N. SPATARU, V. S. TEODORESCU, A. V. MARALOIU, I. VOICULESCU, A. M. MARCU, T. SPATARU, Structural and electrochemical characterization of TiO2/Pt hybrid catalyst system for direct bio-ethanol fuel cell, Journal of Optoelectronics and Advanced Materials Vol. 12, Iss. 5, pp. 1189-1193 (2010)