Abstract: PtRu nanowires and nanorods with different alloy extents and aspect ratios were synthesized by impregnating and reducing Pt and Ru precursors using SBA-15 and MCM-41 mesoporous molecular sieves as the template, respectively. The results of X-ray powder diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and linear sweep voltammetry demonstrated that the PtRu nanowires synthesized using SBA-15 as the template had a higher alloy extent, larger aspect ratio, and better electrocatalytic activity in a methanol and sulfuric acid solution than the PtRu nanorods synthesized using MCM-41 template. The effects of alloy extent and aspect ratio of PtRu electrocatalysts on the catalytic activity and anode performance of direct methanol fuel cells were discussed.

Key words: platinum, ruthenium, nanowire, electrocatalyst, SBA-15, MCM-41, mesoporous molecular sieve, direct methanol fuel cell