Synthesis of Pt-ZnO/C composites and their catalytic activity for alcohols oxidation

ZnO micro particles were prepared by a sol-gel method. Pt-ZnO/C were obtained by electrodepositing Pt. The crystallinity, composition and morphology of the as-prepared powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The electrocatalytic activity towards methanol and ethanol oxidation of such micro-composites on a kryptol substrate was investigated in acid electrolyte at room temperature using cyclic voltammetry (CV). The results show that the best catalytic activity of composite catalyst for methanol and ethanol oxidation is obtained when the content of ZnO is 50%.