Electrocatalytic performance of poly(o-phenylenediamine)-Pt-Ru nanocomposite for methanol oxidation

The electrocatalytic properties of poly(o-phenylenediamine) (PoPD)-Pt-Ru nanocomposite electrode for methanol oxidation have been investigated by linear sweep and cyclic voltammetry. The Pt-Ru ion concentration ratio in the electrodeposition bath is varied in the ratios of 1:0.25, 1:0.5, 1:1, 1:2, and 1:4. The morphology and particle size of the nanocomposites are obtained from the scanning electron microscopy data. The onset potential for the oxidation of methanol is found to be effectively reduced by 220 mV for the (PoPD)-Pt-Ru (1:1) nanocomposite compared to PoPD-Pt electrode. Also, the PoPD-Pt-Ru (1:1) composite shows a value of 4.2 for the ratio of forward to reverse peak current which is relatively a high value that can be observed among the conducting polymer-based catalysts used for methanol oxidation. The results are substantiated by the polarization and stability data.