WO3/PAni As Platinum Support Towards the Methanol Oxidation Reaction

WO3 and WO3/PAni, as a ceramic-polymer composite, were synthesized, characterized, and evaluated as electrocatalyst support for platinum toward the methanol oxidation reaction in an acid medium. Pt supported by chemical reduction (25.5 % wt) on WO3 and physically mixed with chemically synthesized PAni (Pt/WO3/PAni(20%)) was compared with a physical mixture of the three materials (Pt/WO3/PAni-PM). The methanol oxidation profiles in an acidic medium show that the polyaniline (PAni) could be blocking the access to the Pt supported by chemical reduction, but it also facilitates the oxidation of CO to CO2. With the physical mixture of the three materials, a combined effect of WO3 and PAni was observed, obtaining an anodic/cathodic current density ratio of 5, while for Pt/WO3/PAni(20%) was 3.07. The results show that combining both effects to avoid CO poisoning is possible.