Increased Selectivity Towards Oxygen Reduction Reaction in the Presence of Methanol by Incorporation of Tungsten Oxides and Platinum

Platinum-tungsten oxides supported on Vulcan carbon were incorporated by means of an impregnation method. XRD and TEM-EDX results indicated that the material is formed by a mixture of tungsten trioxide and platinum particles supported on carbon. XPS analysis showed the presence of tungsten trioxide, metallic platinum and platinum oxides (PtO and PtO2) on the surface of the material. The catalytic performance of PtWOx/C and Pt/C for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) was analyzed in the absence and presence of methanol throughout cyclic voltammetry and rotating disk electrode. The results indicated that the addition of tungsten trioxide increases both the catalytic performance of the ORR and catalyst's methanol tolerance.