Influence of Caprolactam on the tin Electrodeposition on a Dispersed Carbon Support and Preparation of Pt/(SnO2/C) Catalysts

Abstract

Composite SnO2/C materials obtained by electrodeposition of tin on Vulcan XC72 particles were used to fabricate a platinum catalyst for the oxygen electroreduction reaction (ORR). Thermogravimetry and X-ray diffraction methods made it possible to determine the composition of materials and the size of platinum and tin oxide crystallites. The use of the SnO2/C composite obtained in the presence of ε-caprolactam (CPL) as a support made it possible to increase the electrochemically active surface area (ESA) of platinum and the mass activity of the Pt/SnO2/C catalyst in ORR.