Platinum is a highly utilized metal in various scientific and commercial applications due to its high catalytic activity and resistance to corrosion. The high cost of the metal limits the viability of alternative fuel cells, such as the direct methanol fuel cell, that rely on a Pt catalyst. As such, it is necessary to increase efficiency, which can be accomplished by using nanoparticles of Pt, thereby increasing the surface area-to-volume ratio, and changing the shape of nanoparticles, which exposes active facets. Ligands play an important role in this process because they can be used to direct nanoparticle growth.  We explored the effect of ligand-capped PtNPs on the methanol oxidation reaction using cyclic voltammetry. We have electrochemically characterized platinum nanoparticle structure and activity before and after amine functionalization. The presence of these amine ligands lowers electrocatalytic activity.  It will be important to quantify the activity decrease and explore the effects of ligand structure to inform future nanoparticle synthesis efforts.

Effect of dodecylamine on the electrocatalytic activity of platinum nanoparticles

247th National Meeting (2014)

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