Shell/Core Au/Ceo2 Nanospheres Attached To Indium Tin Oxide Surface For Electro-Oxidation Of Methanol In Alkaline Media

Although nanosized gold (Au) nanoparticles show a greater electrocatalytic activity than bulk gold, improving the electrocatalytic activity of gold still remains a challenge. In order to improve the performance of Au nanoparticles towards electro-oxidation of methanol, we use CeO2 nanospheres as the catalyst support to obtain a CeO2/Au core shell structure. In this paper, we demonstrate an interesting way to prepare catalysts by using CeO2 nanoporous spheres as the supporting material, with Au nanoparticles assembled on the surface of the CeO2 nanoporous spheres using 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane. The morphology and structure of these as-prepared materials are characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), electron diffraction (ED) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The electrocatalytic properties of Au/indium tin oxide (ITO) and Au@CeO2/ITO electrodes for methanol oxidation are investigated. The results indicate that the prepared Au@CeO2/ITO electrode exhibits greater electrocatalytic activity and stability than the Au/ITO electrode.