Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Carbon nanotubes decorated with Pt nanoparticles via electrostatic self-assembly: a highly active oxygen reduction electrocatalyst

Journal Article · · Journal of Materials Chemistry, 20(15):2826-2830
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1039/b919494k· OSTI ID:974951

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are noncovalently functionalized with poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) and then employed as the support of Pt nanoparticles. X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirms the successful functionalization of CNTs with PAH. The negatively charged Pt precursors are adsorbed on positively charged PAH-wrapping CNTs surface via electrostatic self-assembly and then in situ reduced in ethylene glycol. X-Ray diffraction and transmission electron microscope images reveal that Pt nanoparticles with an average size of 2.6 nm are uniformly dispersed on CNT surface. Pt/PAH-CNTs exhibit unexpectedly high activity towards oxygen reduction reaction, which can be attributed to the large electrochemical surface area of Pt nanoparticles. It also shows enhanced electrochemical stability due to the structural integrity of PAH-CNTs. This provides a facile approach to synthesize CNTs-based nanoelectrocatalysts.

Research Organization:
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (US), Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
AC05-76RL01830
OSTI ID:
974951
Report Number(s):
PNNL-SA-67982; 30493
Journal Information:
Journal of Materials Chemistry, 20(15):2826-2830, Journal Name: Journal of Materials Chemistry, 20(15):2826-2830 Journal Issue: 15 Vol. 20; ISSN JMACEP; ISSN 0959-9428
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English