Processing of gold nanoparticles as fuel cell catalysts

The catalytic activity of the core-shell assembled gold and alloy nanoparticles as catalysts for electrooxidation of CO and methanol was studied. The activation of the catalytic activity of the catalysts could be controlled by manipulation of the core-shell structure, interfacial reactivity, and adhesions to the supporting substrate. The anodic current density for the thermally-activated film was twice as large as the electrochemically-activated catalyst (same film thickness), with the oxidation potential being slightly less positive than the electrochemically-activated film. The results demonstrated that the nanostructured catalytic activity can be thermally activated by the controlled temperature.