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Abstract
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The electrooxidation of methanol was investigated in acidic media on the platinum-cobalt alloy
carbon-ceramic modified electrode (Pt-Co/CCE) via cyclic voltammetric analysis in the mixed
0.5 M methanol and 0.1 M H2SO4 solutions. The Pt-Co/CCE catalyst, which has excellent
electrocatalytic activity for methanol oxidation than the Pt nanoparticles carbon-ceramic
modified electrode (Pt/CCE) and smooth Pt electrode, shows great potential as less expensive
electrocatalyst for these fuels oxidation. These results showed that the presence of Co in the
structure of catalyst and application of CCE as a substrate greatly enhance the electrocatalytic
activity of Pt towards the oxidation of methanol. Moreover, the presence of Co contributes to
reduce the amount of Pt in the anodic material of direct methanol fuel cells, which remains one
of the challenges to make the technology of direct methanol fuel cells possible. On the other
hand, the Pt-Co/CCE catalyst has satisfactory stability and reproducibility for electrooxidation
of methanol when stored in ambient conditions or continues cycling making it more attractive
for fuel cell applications.
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