• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.113-118
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• 2015

To improve the methanol electro-oxidation in direct methanol fuel cells(DMFCs), Pt electrocatalysts embedded on porous carbon nanofibers(CNFs) were synthesized by electrospinning followed by a reduction method. To fabricate the porous CNFs, we prepared three types of porous CNFs using three different amount of a styrene-co-acrylonitrile(SAN) polymer: 0.2 wt%, 0.5 wt%, and 1 wt%, respectively. A SAN polymer, which provides vacant spaces in porous CNFs, was decomposed and burn out during the carbonization. The structure and morphology of the samples were examined using field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy and their surface area were measured using the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller(BET). The crystallinities and chemical compositions of the samples were examined using X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The electrochemical properties on the methanol electro-oxidation were characterized using cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. Pt electrocatalysts embedded on porous CNFs containing 0.5 wt% SAN polymer exhibited the improved methanol oxidation and electrocatalytic stability compared to Pt/conventional CNFs and commercial Pt/C(40 wt% Pt on Vulcan carbon, E-TEK).

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.22 no.8
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• pp.421-425
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• 2012

Two types of Pt nanoparticle electrocatalysts were composited on Pt nanowires by a combination of an electrospinning method and an impregnation method with NaBH4 as a reducing agent. The structural properties and electrocatalytic activities for methanol electro-oxidation in direct methanol fuel cells were investigated by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and cyclic voltammetry. In particular, SEM, HRTEM, XRD, and XPS results indicate that the metallic Pt nanoparticles with polycrystalline property are uniformly decorated on the electro-spun Pt nanowires. In order to investigate the catalytic activity of the Pt nanoparticles decorated on the electro-spun Pt nanowires, two types of 20 wt% Pt nanoparticles and 40 wt% Pt nanoparticles decorated on the electro-spun Pt nanowires were fabricated. In addition, for comparison, single Pt nanowires were fabricated via an electrospinning method without an impregnation method. As a result, the cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry results demonstrate that the electrode containing 40 wt% Pt nanoparticles exhibits the best catalytic activity for methanol electro-oxidation and the highest electrochemical stability among the single Pt nanowires, the 20 wt% Pt nanoparticles decorated with Pt nanowires, and the 40 wt% Pt nanoparticles decorated with Pt nanowires studied for use in direct methanol fuel cells.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.21 no.8
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• pp.419-424
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• 2011

Pt nanoparticle catalysts incorporated on $RuO_2$ nanowire support were successfully synthesized and their electrochemical properties, such as methanol electro-oxidation and electrochemically active surface (EAS) area, were demonstrated for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). After fabricating $RuO_2$ nanowire support via an electrospinning method, two different types of incorporated Pt nanoparticle electrocatalysts were prepared using a precipitation method via the reaction with $NaBH_4$ as a reducing agent. One electrocatalyst was 20 wt% Pt/$RuO_2$, and the other was 40 wt% Pt/$RuO_2$. The structural and electrochemical properties of the Pt nanoparticle electrocatalysts incorporated on electrospun $RuO_2$ nanowire support were investigated using a bright field transmission electron microscopy (bright field TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and cyclic voltammetry. The bright field TEM, XRD, and XPS results indicate that Pt nanoparticle electrocatalysts with sizes of approximately 2-4 nm were well incorporated on the electrospun $RuO_2$ nanowire support with a diameter of approximately 50 nm. The cyclic voltammetry results showed that the Pt nanoparticle catalysts incorporated on the electrospun $RuO_2$ nanowire support give superior catalytic activity in the methanol electro-oxidation and a higher electrochemically active surface (EAS) area when compared with the electrospun Pt nanowire electrocatalysts without the $RuO_2$ nanowire support. Therefore, the Pt nanoparticle catalysts incorporated on the electrospun $RuO_2$ nanowire support could be a promising electrode for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs).

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.179-186
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• 2014

Methanol electro oxidation on the surface of carbon paste modified by $NiCl_2/6H_2O$ was studied in 1M NaOH by potentiostatic and potentiodynamic methods. Ni/C catalyst by the concentration of 5% Ni showed about twice higher electro catalytic activity than Ni metal. The amount of monolayer's on the surface of electrode is almost one order higher for Ni/C than Ni electrode. The kinetic parameters and the diffusion coefficient of methanol were derived from chronoamperometry (CA) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements.

• Carbon letters
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.117-120
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• 2013

In this study, an electro-catalyst of Pt nanoparticles supported by polypyrrole-functionalized graphene (Pt/PPy-reduced graphene oxide [RGO]) is reported. The Pt nanoparticles are deposited on the PPy-RGO composite by chemical reduction of H2PtCl6 using NaBH4. The presence of graphene (RGO) caused higher activity. This might have been due to increased electro-chemically accessible surface areas, increased electronic conductivity, and easier charge-transfer at polymer-electrolyte interfaces, allowing higher dispersion and utilization of the deposited Pt nano-particles. Microstructure, morphology and crystallinity of the synthesized materials were investigated using X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The results showed successful deposition of Pt nano-particles, with crystallite size of about 2.7 nm, on the PPy-RGO support film. Catalytic activity for methanol electro-oxidation in fuel cells was investigated using cyclic voltammetry. The fundamental electrochemical test results indicated that the electro-catalytic activity, for methanol oxidation, of the Pt/PPy-RGO combination was much better than for commercial catalyst.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2009.11a
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• pp.159-159
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• 2009

In this work, nitrogen and oxygen functionalities was introduced to the graphite nanofibers (GNFs) and their effect on electrocatalytic performance of the GNF supports for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) was invesigated. The nitrogen and oxygen groups were introduced through the urea treatments and acid treatment, respectively. And, PtRu catalysts deposited on modified GNFs were prepared by a chemical reduction method. The catalysts were characterized by means of elemental analysis, nitrogen adsorption, and X-ray photoelectron spetroscopy (XPS). The structure and morphological characteristics of the catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). As a result, the Pt-Ru nanoparticles were impregnated on GNFs with good formation in 3-5 nm. And, the cyclic voltammograms for methanol oxidation revealed that the methanol oxidation peak varied depending on changes of surface functional groups. It was thus considered that the PtRu deposition was related to the reduction of PtRu and surface characteristics of the carbon supports. The changes of surface functional groups were related to PtRu reduction, significantly affect the methanol oxidation activity of anode electrocatalysts in DMFCs.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.221-225
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• 2002

Assisted by the highly sensitive confocal microprobe Raman spectrometer and proper surface roughening procedure, the Raman investigation on the adsorption and reaction of methanol was performed on Pt-Ru electrodes with different coverages. A detailed description of the roughening process of the Pt electrodes and the underpotential deposition of the Ru was given. Reasonably good Raman signal reflecting the metal-carbon vibration and CO vibration was detected. The appearance of vibrations of the Ru oxides, together with the existence of Ru-C, Pt-C and CO bands, clearly demonstrates the participation of the bi-functional mechanism during the oxidation process of methanol on Pt-Ru electrodes. The Pt-Ru electrode was found to have a higher catalytic activity over Pt electrodes. This preliminary study shows that electrochemical Raman spectroscopy can be applied to the study of rough electrode surface.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.12 no.2 s.49
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• pp.117-121
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• 2005

Platinum catalysts for the DMFC (Direct Methanol Fuel Cell) were impregnated on several carbon supports and their catalytic activities were evaluated with cyclic voltammograms of methanol electro-oxidation. To increase the activities of the Pt/C catalyst, carbon supports with high electric conductivity such as mesoporous carbon, carbon nanofiber, and carbon nanotube were employed. The Pt/e-CNF (etched carbon nanofiber) catalyst showed higher maximum current density of $70 mA cm^{-2}$ and lower on-set voltage of 0.54 V vs. NHE than the Pt/Vulcan XC-72 in methanol oxidation. Although the carbon named by CNT (carbon nanotube) series turned out to have larger BET surface area than the carbon named by CNF (carbon nanofiber) series, the Pt catalysts supported on the CNT series were less active than those on the CNF series due to their lower electric conductivity and lower availability of pores for Pt loading. Considering that the BET surface area and electric conductivity of the e-CNF were similar to those of the Vulcan XC-72, smaller Pt particle size of the Pt/e-CNF catalyst and stronger metal-support interaction were believed to be the main reason for its higher catalytic activity.

• 한국전기화학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2004.06a
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• pp.185-190
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• 2004

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2009.06a
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• pp.369-372
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• 2009

In the present study, the effect of chemical treatment on graphite nanofibers (GNFs) supports with various concentrated nitric acids was investigated for methanol oxidation. To optimize the electrocatalytic activity, PtRu catalysts were deposited on GNF supports by impregnation method. The surface and structural properties of the GNF supports were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), element analyzer (EA), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The morphology of the catalysts was observed by means of transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The electrocatalytic activity of PtRu/GNF catalysts was investigated by cyclic voltammetry measurement. As a result, the oxygen functional groups were introduced on the GNF supports and were gradually increased with increasing of concentrated nitric acid, causing the smaller particle size and higher loading level. And the electrocatalytic activity of the catalysts for methanol oxidation was gradually improved. Consequently, it was found that chemical treatments could influence on surface properties of the carbon supports, resulting in enhancing the electrocatalytic activity of the catalysts for DMFCs.