Abstract:
Platinum (Pt), titanium dioxide (TiO2), and platinum/titanium dioxide composite (Pt/TiO2) nanofibers (NFs) were prepared by electrospinning technique. The optimum conditions for preparing Pt NFs were summarized as followed: (i) the precursor solution consisted of H2PtCl6.6H2O 38 mg/ml and PVP (Mw 1,300,000 g/mol) 35 mg/ml in the solvent mixture of deionized water and ethanol at the volume ratio of 0.25 and (ii) the applied voltage of 4.5 kV. The optimum conditions for TiO2 NFs were (i) the molar ratio of titanium isopropoxide (TTIP): ethanol: water: HCl was 1:1:1:0.3, (ii) the curing temperature of 80oC for 30 min and (iii) the applied voltage of 18 kV. For Pt/TiO2 NFs, the optimum conditions were (i) the molar ratios of TTIP: ethanol: water: HPt0.5Cl3 at 1:1:1:0.3 and 1:1:1.37:0.4. (ii) the curing temperature of 70oC for 20 and 15 min and (iii) the applied voltage of 18 and 19 kV, respectively. These NFs were subsequently calcined at 500oC for 1 h (Pt NFs) and 3 h (TiO2 and Pt/TiO2 NFs). The ethanol electro-oxidation reaction kinetics of these NFs were measured by cyclic voltammetry (CV) technique. The results showed the order of ethanol electro-oxidation activities as followed: Pt NF > Pt NF coated by Pt/TiO2 NF > Pt/TiO2 NF > TiO2 NF electrodes. Furthermore, Pt NF electrode showed the lower ethanol oxidation activity than the commercial Pt/C due to its lower surface area for the ethanol oxidation reaction. On the contrary, the Pt/TiO2-NF and TiO2-NF electrodes showed the lowest ethanol oxidation activities due to their low electronic conductivities arising from the loss of electronic connection among the metallic grains in their NF structures.