Electrosynthesis, characterization and electrocatalytic properties of Pt-Sn/CCE towards oxidation of formic acid

Bimetallic platinum-tin nanoparticles were co-deposited on a carbon-ceramic electrode (CCE) surface using a simple one-step electrochemical process. The obtained catalyst (Pt-Sn/CCE) was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and cyclic voltammetry. The electrocatalytic activity of the Pt-Sn/CCE towards the electrooxidation of formic acid (FA) was evaluated by cyclic voltammetry in 0.1 M H2SO4 solution. It was found that the Pt-Sn/CCE was catalytically more active than the Pt nanoparticles (alone) supported on the same substrate. The obtained results also showed that the presence of Sn greatly enhances the activity of the Pt towards the electrooxidation of FA. Moreover, it contributes to reduce the amount of the noble metal in the anode of direct formic acid fuel cells (DFAFCs), which remains one of the challenges to make the technology of DFAFCs economically viable.