Synthesis of the platinum particle with the pH variation for the particle size control

Platinum is a precious metal widely used in the jewelry industry due to its property and intrinsic value. The different particle sizes of platinum can be applied in various applications, especially for jewelry production. In the present article, submicron, and nano-sized platinum particle sizes were synthesized through simple chemical reduction methods and the effect of pH variation was revealed. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) images showed that the pH variations give rise to significant changes of the obtained particle size. The size of platinum particle was decreased from submicron to nanoscale while the pH was increased. The UV-Vis spectra indicated the maximum absorption at 220 nm confirming the spherical shape of the platinum particle. The FT-IR spectroscopy was used to analyze the residuals from the synthesis. The result showed that there is no indication of residual in the synthesized particle. Additionally, this synthesis can provide stability in terms of size and shape, as well as high production yield.

Effect of CeO2 Presence on the Electronic Structure and the Activity for Ethanol Oxidation of Carbon Supported Pt

Pt/CeO2/C electrocatalysts in different compositions were prepared and their structural characteristics and activities for ethanol oxidation in alkaline media were evaluated. In the presence of CeO2, an increase in the platinum particle size was observed. XANES measurements indicated that the Pt d-band vacancies increased with increasing CeO2 amounts. For the first time, the decrease in electro activity was described to an electronic effect for high CeO2 contents. The dependence of the activity for ethanol oxidation on CeO2 content went to a maximum, due to the counteracting bifunctional and electronic effects of the metal oxide.