Platinum-polyaniline-modified carbon fiber electrode for the electrooxidation of methanol

Platinum was electrodeposited onto a polyaniline-modified carbon fiber electrode by the cyclic voltammetric method in sulfuric acid, which may enable an increase in the level of platinum u tilization currently achieved in electrocatalyric systems. This electrode preparation consists of a two-step procedure: first electropolymerization of aniline onto carbon fiber and then electrodeposition of platinum. The catalytic activity of the platinum-polyaniline-modified carbon fiber electrode (Pt/PAni/C) was compared with that of a bare carbon fiber electrode (Pt/C) by the oxidation of methanol. The maximum oxidation current of methanol on Pt/PAni/C is 50.7 mA.cm-2, which is 6.7 times higher than 7.6 mA.cm-2 on the Pt/C.Scanning electron microscopy was used to investigate the dispersion of the platinum particles of about 0.4 μm.