Effect of Deposition Potential on the Structure, Electrocatalytic Activity and Stability of Pt Films for Methanol Oxidation

The effect of deposition potential on the structure and electrocatalytic properties of Pt films electrodeposited on Ti was investigated. By controlling a constant deposition potential either at -0.15 V, -0.20 V, -0.25 V or -0.30 V, various shapes of Pt structures such as cauliflower-like, durian-like, needle-like and worm-like can be observed by FESEM. The face-centered cubic (fcc) structure of all the prepared Pt films was confirmed by XRD. The highest specific electrochemically active surface area (ECSA) was obtained for Pt films with durian-like shape prepared at -0.2 V with 6.0 m(2) g(-1) which gave the best catalytic activity and stability for methanol oxidation in alkaline medium.