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In this work, an anatase Ti0.7W0.3O2-supported Pt3Ru nanoparticles (NPs) were fabricated by combining the advantages of the non-carbon Ti0.7W0.3O2 nanosupport and the synergistic effect of the bimetallic Pt3Ru nanoalloy that was investigated as electrocatalyst toward alcohol electrochemical oxidation. The bimetallic Pt3Ru nanoparticles with ~3 nm in diameter were relatively well-dispersed on the surface of the anatase Ti0.7W0.3O2 nanosupport via a surfactant-free microwave-assisted polyol route that, which was attributable to the good dispersibility of ethylene glycol and the rapid, uniformity of the microwave heating. For methanol and ethanol electrochemical oxidation, the as-obtained Pt3Ru (NPs)/Ti0.7W0.3O2 electrocatalyst exhibited the low onset potential (~0.10 V vs. NHE for MOR and ~0.35 V vs. NHE for EOR) and high mass activity (~350.84 mA mgPt−1 for MOR and ~274.59 mA mgPt−1 for EOR) compared to the commercial Pt (NPs)/C (E-TEK) electrocatalyst. Additionally, the CO-stripping and CA results indicated the remarkably enhanced CO-tolerance of the Pt3Ru (NPs)/Ti0.7W0.3O2 catalyst. After the 5000-cycle accelerated durability test (ADT) in acidic ethanol media, the bimetallic Pt3Ru (NPs)/Ti0.7W0.3O2 catalyst only showed the mass activity loss of 19.11% of its initial mass activity, compared with the severe deterioration of 44.04% of the commercial Pt (NPs)/C (E-TEK) catalyst. The outstanding results could be interpreted due to the bifunctional mechanism of the Pt3Ru nanoalloys combining with the synergistic effect between the bimetallic nanoalloy and the mesoporous Ti0.7W0.3O2 nanosupport as well as the superior anti-corrosion of the TiO2-based nanosupport under acidic and oxidative environments.

High cost and poor durability of Pt-based electrocatalysts are the main challenges for future commercialization of direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs). In the present work, a stable and effective Pt/Ti0.8W0.2O2 electrocatalyst toward ethanol electrooxidation reactions (EORs) was prepared by utilizing the attributes of noncarbon catalyst supports and low Pt loading. The 18.5 wt % Pt/Ti0.8W0.2O2 electrocatalyst was successfully fabricated through a simple and rapid microwave-assisted polyol route (ethylene glycol was used as a reducing agent). In comparison with a conventional 20 wt % Pt/C electrocatalyst, the as-prepared 18.5 wt % Pt/Ti0.8W0.2O2 electrocatalyst resulted in much lower onset potential, higher If/Ib value, and superior stability toward EOR, which can be ascribed to the synergistic effect between Pt nanocatalyst and the Ti0.8W0.2O2 catalyst support. Therefore, these findings imply that 18.5 wt % Pt/Ti0.8W0.2O2 is a promising anodic electrocatalyst and possesses the ability to replace Pt/C electrocatalysts in the future.