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Fabrication of a composite of platinum, N-g-C3N4 and Ketjen Black for photo-electrochemical methanol oxidation

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Abstract

Recently N-doped graphitic carbon-incorporated g-C3N4 (denoted as N-g-C3N4) exhibits better electroconductivity and photo-catalytic property compared with pure g-C3N4 as a support material for Pt nanoparticles (NPs). A composite catalyst consisting of Pt nanoparticles and N-g-C3N4-modified KB was designed and fabricated. Pt nanoparticles were prepared through a solution plasma process; N-g-C3N4 was prepared by direct heating the mixture of urea and citric acid monohydrate and subsequently treated by hydrothermal method. Their chemical composition, particle size and microstructure were investigated by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Compared with the Pt/KB catalyst, ternary Pt/N-g-C3N4/KB nanocomposites exhibit excellent electrocatalytic properties for methanol oxidation owning to the significant synergistic effects of individual components. Once light irradiation was supplied, Pt/N-g-C3N4/KB catalyst exhibits exceptional forward peak current densities as high as 2800 mA mg −1Pt . And Pt/N-g-C3N4/KB catalyst also shows better CO tolerance than Pt/KB. Such a Pt/N-g-C3N4/KB composite catalyst may bring new design ideas for photo-assisted direct methanol fuel cell in the future.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant no. 51372113), Specially-Appointed Professors by Universities in Jiangsu Province (SPUJP-2012, China), Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials (SICAM), and Project funded by the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (PAPD).

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Author notes

  1. Xiulan Hu

    Present address: College of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Xin-Mo-Fan Road No. 5, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210009, China

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Xin-Mo-Fan Road No. 5, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210009, China

    Jiexu Cheng, Jianbo Zhang, Huihong Huang, Nan Su & Haikui Zhu

  2. The Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Material, Xin-Mo-Fan Road No. 5, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210009, China

    Jiexu Cheng, Xiulan Hu, Jianbo Zhang, Huihong Huang, Nan Su & Haikui Zhu

  3. Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials (SICAM), Xin-Mo-Fan Road No. 5, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210009, China

    Jiexu Cheng, Xiulan Hu, Jianbo Zhang, Huihong Huang, Nan Su & Haikui Zhu

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  1. Jiexu Cheng
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  2. Xiulan Hu
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Correspondence to Xiulan Hu.

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Cheng, J., Hu, X., Zhang, J. et al. Fabrication of a composite of platinum, N-g-C3N4 and Ketjen Black for photo-electrochemical methanol oxidation. J Mater Sci 52, 8444–8454 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-017-1110-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-017-1110-x

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