Direct-methanol fuel cell based on functionalized graphene oxide with mono-metallic and bi-metallic nanoparticles: Electrochemical performances of nanomaterials for methanol oxidation

Abstract

The catalysts based on 2-aminoethanethiol functionalized graphene oxide (AETGO) with several mono-metallic and bi-metallic nanoparticles such as rod gold (rAuNPs), rod silver (rAgNPs), rod gold-platinum (rAu-Pt NPs) and rod silver-platinum (rAg-Pt NPs) were synthesized. The successful synthesis of nanomaterials was confirmed by various methods. The effective surface area (ESA) of the rAu-Pt NPs/AETGO is 1.44, 1.64 and 2.40 times higher than those of rAg-Pt NPs/AETGO, rAuNPs/AETGO and rAgNPs/AETGO, respectively, under the same amount of Pt. The rAu-Pt NPs/AETGO exhibited a higher peak current for methanol oxidation than those of comparable rAg-Pt NPs/AETGO under the same amount of Pt loading. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.