Formaldehyde electrocatalysis oxidation on glassy carbon electrode modified by Pt hollow nanosphere

Platinum hollow nanospheres (PtHollow) were prepared in batch at room temperature by using selenium nanospheres as template, chloroplatinic acid precursor, ascorbic acid as reducing agent and SDSN as stabilizing agent, and the prepared platinum hollow spheres were used to modify glassy carbon electrode (PtHollow/GC). In addition, electro-deposition platinum nanoparticles modified glassy carbon electrode (Ptnano/GC) was prepared for comparison. The morphology and structure were characterized with X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscope. Platinum hollow nanospheres had excellent dispersion and uniform size, and the diameter was about 120 nm. The shell was porous with a thickness smaller than 10 nm and was constructed by multi-dimensional and multi-level Pt atoms clusters. Formaldehyde was used as probe molecules, and the conventional electrochemical methods, including cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry curves were used to test the catalytic performance of PtHollow/GC and Ptnano/GC towards formaldehyde oxidation under the same electrical activity area condition. Current density at 0.64 V of PtHollow/GC was 1.5 times of that of Ptnano/GC. Oxidation potential at 0.5 mA·cm-2 current density of the former was more negative than the latter by about 30 mV. The experimental evidence indicated that compared with Ptnano/GC electrode, formaldehyde oxidation on PtHollow/GC electrode had lower activation energy, faster reaction speed and higher catalytic activity. These could provide experimental and theoretical basis for the preparation of anode catalyst in direct formaldehyde fuel cells. © All Rights Reserved.