Carbon fiber paper supported nano-Pt electrode with high electrocatalytic activity for concentrated nitric acid reduction.

A high-performance electrode for the electrocatalytic reduction of concentrated nitric acid is developed from an electrode based on carbon fiber paper supported Pt nanoparticles (nano-Pt/CFP). The nano-Pt/CFP electrode exhibits remarkable electrocatalytic reactivity at room temperature (488.6 mA mg − 1 for nanopolyhedral Pt, and 384.9 mA mg − 1 for nanothorn Pt) with a significant reduction in Pt usage compared with conventional Pt electrodes (0.0190 mA mg − 1 for Pt sheet or 0.3667 mA mg − 1 Pt mesh) and commercial Pt/C (288.5 mA mg − 1 ). The mechanism is discussed based on the electrochemical voltammograms and the composition of gaseous products, indicating a homogeneous autocatalysis process with NO and N 2 O as the main products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]