Pt–Pd Bifunctional Catalysts Supported on CeO₂/Graphene Oxide for Reinforced Methanol Electro-oxidation

In this work, the CeO₂ nanoparticles were dispersed onto the surface of graphene oxide (GO), followed by electrodeposition of Pt–Pd alloy nanoparticles on the CeO₂ surface to fabricate Pt–Pd@CeO₂/graphene oxide composites (Pt–Pd@CeO₂/GO). Morphological investigation was conducted using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results of morphological characterization revealed that CeO₂ nanoparticles acted as cores, while Pt–Pd alloy nanoparticles formed shells. The electrocatalytic oxidation performance of Pt–Pd@CeO₂/GO composites for methanol electro-oxidation reaction (MOR) was systematically investigated. The mass activity for MOR on Pt₁Pd_1.3@CeO₂/GO electrocatalyst was 1128 mA·mg_Pt+Pd⁻¹, which was 5.0-fold higher than that of Pt/C catalysts. The synergistic effect between Pt and Pd, along with the active oxygen-containing species of CeO₂ effectively enhanced catalytic activity. This work presents a novel approach to developing catalysts with high catalytic performance for MOR.