Support Shape Effect on the Catalytic Performance of Pt/CeO₂ Nanostructures for Methanol Electrooxidation

Highlights: • Polyhedral, cubic and rod-like nanosize CeO₂ supported Pt catalysts were prepared. • Electrooxidation of methanol on different Pt/CeO₂ catalysts was examined. • CeO₂ nanorods supported Pt particles showed the highest electrocatalytic activity. • Support-shape-dependent catalytic activity of Pt/CeO₂ was addressed. - Abstract: Polyhedral, cubic, and rod-like CeO₂ nanostructures have been selectively synthesized and used as supports for Pt nanoparticles. The structures of Pt/CeO₂, specially the exposed crystallographic facets of different CeO₂ nanosupports, have been investigated by electron microscopy. A shape change induced variation of the exposed facets on CeO₂ surface has been confirmed. In methanol electrooxidation, Pt/CeO₂ particles have been found to acquire a generally improved and, more importantly, support-shape-dependent electrocatalytic activity. Pt nanoparticles earn the best activity on CeO₂ nanorods while they gain the poorest activity on CeO₂ nanopolyhedra. The result, indeed, reveals a fact that the {110} and {100} over {111} planes on ceria surface possess a superiority in improving the electrocatalytic performance of their supported Pt nanoparticles