Pt Nanoparticles Supported on Mesoporous CeO₂ Nanostructures Obtained through Green Approach for Efficient Catalytic Performance toward Ethanol Electro-oxidation

In this report, an easy and green approach to the synthesis of mesoporous cerium oxide (CeO₂) nanostructures and followed by supporting platinum nanoparticles (NPs) on CeO₂ nanostructures (Pt/CeO₂) and their application as versatile electrocatalysts for ethanol electrooxidation has been established. The synthesis of mesoporous Pt/CeO₂ nanostructures involves two steps. First, mesoporous CeO₂ nanostructures were synthesized via macroalgae polymer mediated approach and followed by supporting of PtNPs of ca. 5-10 nm over the mesoporous CeO₂ nanostructures using seed-mediated chemical reduction process. The structural and spectroscopic characterization techniques such as transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) studies confirm the strong coupling between PtNPs and the mesoporous CeO₂ support resulting in the generation of more oxygen vacancies, which can facilitate the enhanced charge transport at their functional interface. Significantly, the synthesized mesoporous Pt/CeO₂ nanostructures were found to show enhanced electrocatalytic activity for ethanol electrooxidation reaction. The enhanced performance is attributed to the synergistic effect of both mesoporous structure and the formation of more oxygen vacancies in the resultant Pt/CeO₂ nanostructures. Our facile and eco-friendly approach to the synthesis of mesoporous CeO₂ nanostructures that supports PtNPs with an excellent catalytic activity is validated as a promising strategy for potential applications in fuel cells.