Structure and morphology of platinum nanoparticles with critical new issues of low- and high-index facets

Viet-Long Nguyen, Michitaka Ohtaki, Van Nong Ngo, Minh-Thi Cao and Masayuki Nogami

Abstract

In this paper, Pt nanoparticles were successfully prepared by modified polyol method using silver nitrate as an effective structure-modifying agent. The characterization of Pt nanoparticles was investigated by using UV-Vis-NIR spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high resolution (HR) TEM, and x-ray diffraction (XRD). The method of selected area electron diffraction (SEAD) was used to study the structure of Pt nanoparticles. The results showed that the as-prepared Pt nanoparticles exhibiting the complexity of surface structure and morphology could be used as efficient catalysts for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) and direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs)