Efficient and facile tuning of Vulcan XC72 with ultra-small Pt nanoparticles for electrocatalytic applications

In this work, we report the synergic combination of tiny, reproducible, and crystalline platinum nanoparticles with functionalized Vulcan XC72 support for the preparation of efficient electrocatalysts. The morphology and crystallinity of Pt NPs, the amination of carbon support and the Pt loading have been properly evaluated by TEM, STEM, ATR-FTIR, XPS and microwave plasma-atomic emission spectrometry MP-AES. The electrochemical performance of the as prepared powders has been evaluated and compared with the exhibited by commercial Pt-ETEK catalyst with similar Pt-loadings, i.e. 20% wt. The herein described electrocatalyst shows higher dispersion (98.2 m2 gPt−1) of Pt nanoparticles (1.5 ± 0.3 nm in size) and strong metal–support interaction than commercial Pt-ETEK counterpart, highlighting the elevated mass activity for methanol electrooxidation.