One-Pot Synthesis of PtRu Nanoparticle Decorated Ordered Mesoporous Carbons with Improved Hydrogen Storage Capacity

We report on one-pot synthesis of PtRu nanoparticle modified ordered mesoporous carbons (OMCs) using RuCl3 center dot xH(2)O and H2PtCl6 center dot 6H(2)O as ruthenium and platinum sources and ethylene glycol (EG) as reducing agent. PtRu alloyed nanoparticles with an average diameter of 3.6 nm were well decorated homogeneously both on the exterior surfaces and interior channels of the OMC matrix. A study on the effect of metal nanoparticle decoration on the structure, pore size, pore volume, and surface area of OMC matrix was carried out. The electrochemical hydrogen storage capacities of OMC/PtRu, OMC/Pt, and OMC are comparatively investigated using cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge-discharge techniques. It is revealed that the PtRu nanoparticle modified OMC samples display an enhanced electrochemical hydrogen storage capacity of 411.8 mAh/g, almost 2.3 times higher than pure OMC electrode and 1.5 times higher than monometallic OMC/Pt electrode. The PtRu alloyed nanoparticles act as active hydrogen adsorption sites and thus increase the H-ad coverage degree due to its large surface area. The results indicated that the OMCs coated with PtRu nanoparticles can find potential applications for hydrogen storage.