High performance PtRuIr catalysts supported on carbon nanotubes for the anodic oxidation of methanol.

We report the formation of a new PtRuIr catalyst using an organic colloid synthesis method, involving acetone as the solvent, ethylene glycol as the reducing agent, citrate as a complexing agent and stabilizer, and multiwall carbon nanotubes (CNT, diameter 8-10 nm) as the support. This catalyst has a very high real surface area and is highly active toward the oxidation of methanol, relevant to fuel cell applications. The Ir component appears to act as a promoter, and the splitting of the Pt(111) XRD feature into four peaks and the shift to larger d spacing reflect the high dispersion of the metallic components.