Preparation, Structural Characterization, and Activity for Ethanol Oxidation of Carbon-Supported PtSnIn Catalyst

Carbon-supported ternary PtSnIn (atomic ratios of 60:20:20, 60:30:10, and 60:10:30) catalysts were prepared using NaBH4 as a reducing agent in ethylene glycol solution. The obtained catalyst was characterized by inductively coupled plasma−atomic emission spectrometry (ICP−AES), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses in comparison to PtSn and PtIn catalysts prepared in the same way. The results showed that all of the catalysts displayed similar particle morphology, while the lattice parameter of PtSnIn was lower than that of PtIn and higher than that of PtSn. Linear sweep voltammetry measurements indicated that PtSnIn catalyst had an enhanced activity for ethanol oxidation compared to both PtSn and PtIn catalysts, consistent with the results of a single-cell test. It was suggested that the enhanced ethanol oxidation activity of PtSnIn catalyst was attributed to the formation of a ternary PtSnIn alloy.