Graphene-modified carbon fiber mats used to improve the activity and stability of Pt catalyst for methanol electrochemical oxidation

Abstract Graphene-modified carbon fiber mats (GCFMs) with high conductivity of about 65 S cm −1 and good flexibility have been fabricated by thermally treating electrospun polyacrylonitrile fibers decorated with graphene oxide. Pt particles were then deposited on the GCFM by using formaldehyde vapor as a reducer to react with H 2 PtCl 6 ·6H 2 O adsorbed on the GCFM. The obtained electro-catalytic electrodes were characterized and evaluated. The results show that the Pt catalyst loaded on GCFM exhibits high electro-catalytic activity, good tolerance towards reaction intermediates and unusually high stability towards methanol electrochemical oxidation because the special structure of GCFM can stabilize the Pt particles, and that the charge transfer resistance between the methanol and the catalytic electrode is as small as 15.7 Ωcm 2 . An electrochemical catalyst with high activity and stability can be developed by using GCFM as a supporting material.