Background
Electro-oxidation of methanol in acidic solution was investigated on a Pt/SnO2 based electrocatalyst obtained by the sol–gel method. Pt/SnO2 systems were prepared by one pot synthesis using a sol–gel method and tin (IV) acetate as a precursor of SnO2 and water solution of hexachloroplatinum acid as a source of metallic phase.
Results
The described method, thanks to its simplicity and mildprocessing temperature, offers uniform dispersion of metal phase in the bulk of the gel forming as a result of hydrolysis and condnastionon of tin precursor. It has been found that the obtained system exhibits high electrocatalytic activity just after low temperature processing. This work investigates the effect of the Pt concentration and the influence thermal treatment of Pt/SnO2 on its electrochemical activity.
Conclusions
The described procedure is a simple method of producing a highly active Pt/SnO2 electrocatalyst without using thermal treatment in reducing conditions. The oxidation state of Pt is a determining factor for its activity in an electrooxidation process.