Electrodeposition of Trimetallic PtSnNi and its Application as Electrocatalyst in Ethanol Electrooxidation Chika Shafa Maura (a), Akrajas Ali Umar (b), Setia Budi (c*)
(a) The Center for Science Innovation, No. 40 BC Arva Building, Jl. RP. Soeroso, Jakarta Pusat 10350, Indonesia
(b) Institute of Microengineering and Nanoelectronics, Universiti Kebangsaan
Malaysia, Selangor 43600, Malaysia
(c)Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Jakarta, Jl. Rawamangun Muka, Jakarta Timur 13220, Indonesia
*setiabudi[at]unj.ac.id
Abstract
Platinum (Pt) is widely used as an electrocatalyst in fuel cells due to its high catalytic activity. However its high cost and susceptibility to poisoning limit its practical applications. To overcome these limitations, trimetallic catalysts such as PtSnNi offer improved catalytic performance through synergistic effects. Tin (Sn) enhances ethanol electrooxidation (EOR) by modifying the electronic structure of Pt and facilitating oxygen containing species adsorption. Nickel (Ni), when combined with Sn, promotes CC bond cleavage and CO desorption from the Pt surface. In this study, PtSnNi electrocatalysts were synthesized on a Cu substrate via potentiostatic electrodeposition. The resulting catalysts were characterized using SEM, EDX, and XRD, while electrochemical performance was evaluated via EIS, CV, LSV and CA. The deposited PtSnNi formed cluster like structures with partial agglomeration and an avarage particle size of 337.33 nm. EDX confirmed elemental compositions of Pt (70.31%) Sn (28.85%) and Ni (0.84%), and XRD revealed a hexagonal crystal structure. The catalyst demonstrated excellent electrochemical properties with a low charge transfer resistance (4.94 ohm), high catalytic activity (29.66 mA/cm2), a tafel slope of 140 mV/dec, and good long term stability. These results confirm the potential of PtSnNi as a promising electrocatalyst for ethanol electrooxidation.
