ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Enhanced electrochemical performance of Pt–Sn–In/C nanoparticles for membraneless fuel cells

V. Selvarani, S. Kiruthika, A. Gayathri, L. Pournan, V.Sudha, and B. Muthukumaran

Department of Chemistry, Presidency College (Autonomous), University of Madras, Chennai, India

E-mail: vselvarani3@gmail.com

Received: 27 March 2020  Accepted: 9 March 2021

Abstract:

Carbon-supported ternary Pt₇₀Sn₁₀In₂₀, Pt₇₀Sn₁₅In₁₅ and Pt₇₀Sn₂₀In₁₀/C electrocatalysts were synthesized by co-impregnation method for the electrooxidation of ethanol in membraneless fuel cells. The resulting catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analyses compared to Pt₅₀Sn₅₀, Pt₅₀In₅₀ and Pt₁₀₀/C catalysts produced in the same way. The results revealed that all catalysts showed a similar particle morphology and the lattice constant of Pt–Sn–In was between Pt–Sn and Pt–In. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and chronoamperometry (CA) showed that the Pt–Sn–In catalyst has improved electrocatalytic activity for ethanol oxidation compared to Pt–Sn and Pt–In catalysts, which is in agreement with the results of the single cell test. The improvement in activity is due to a greatly increased electrochemically active surface and the promoting function of indium.

Keywords: Membraneless fuel cells; Pt–Sn–In/C; Ethanol oxidation; Percarbonate

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-021-01598-8

Chemical Papers 75 (7) 3521–3533 (2021)