A strategy for the high dispersion of PtRu nanoparticles onto carbon nanotubes and their electrocatalytic oxidation of methanol.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were non-covalently functionalized by 1-pyrenecarboxaldehyde (PCA) via π-π stacking interactions. PCA not only acts as the reductant for the deposition of PtRu nanoparticles, but the oxidation product of PCA can also effectively anchor and stabilize the in-situ-produced PtRu NPs on the surface of CNTs. Transmission electron microscopy demonstrates that PtRu NPs are uniformly dispersed on the surface of CNTs with small particles sizes of about 1.7 nm. The obtained PtRu-NP/CNT composites have higher electrochemical surface areas, electrocatalytic activities, and better stability towards methanol oxidation compared to PtRu NPs supported on pristine CNTs.