Ternary Pt/Re/SnO2 nanoparticles for ethanol oxidation reaction: Understanding the correlation between the synthesis route and the obtained material

Abstract Multicomponent nanoparticles (NPs) are extensively synthesized and studied because they exhibit interesting properties, being key components in many catalytic applications. The present work explores the effect of different synthesis conditions on the synthesis and properties of ternary nanoparticle combinations, with potential application in ethanol oxidation. For this purpose three different routes to fabricate SnO 2 nanoparticles decorated by Pt and Re were undertaken. Mixing of three metal precursors and reducing them together allow to synthesize a mixture of poorly-crystalized Pt, Re and SnO 2 clusters, while reducing Pt and Re on SnO 2 results in Pt NPs and single Re decorating SnO 2 NPs. Only the third method consisting in adjusting the zeta potential of the individual Pt, Re and SnO 2 NPs and assembling them in a controlled way leads to the formation of the desired ternary NPs arrangement. The synthesized ternary combinations were characterized by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) combined with EDS analysis, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Only the applying the third synthesis method a well-defined NPs system composed of three desirable types of nanoparticles are obtain, as confirm by TEM, EDS and XRD. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) experiments were carried out to study the electrocatalytic activity towards ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR).