Silicon carbide encapsulated graphite nanocomposites supported Pt nanoparticles as high-performance catalyst for methanol and ethanol oxidation reaction

Silicon carbide encapsulated graphite (SiC/EG) nanocomposites prepared by carbothermal reduction method were used as Pt nanoparticles (NPs) supports for effective methanol and ethanol electrooxidation. Pt NPs with a mean diameter of 2.3 ± 0.4 nm have been uniformly deposited on SiC/EG by electrodeposition method. The Pt/SiC/EG catalyst showed larger electrochemical active surface area (ECSA), higher electrocatalytic activity and durability, better poison tolerance toward methanol and ethanol oxidation than commercial Pt/C catalyst. This outstanding electrocatalytic performance of Pt/SiC/EG was attributed not only to the small size and uniform distribution of Pt NPs, but also to the high corrosion resistance and the porous network structure of SiC/EG support. These results suggest that SiC/EG is a promising catalyst support for electrocatalysts in fuel cells.