Highly efficient Pt-Ru-Co-W quaternary anode catalysts for methanol electrooxidation discovered by combinatorial analysis

PtRuCoW quaternary alloy system is explored by a robotic dispenser and combinatorial optical screening method, and some active quaternary electrocatalysts are discovered for methanol oxidation in DMFC. The newly developed PtRuCoW catalysts exhibit superior electrochemical catalytic activity and better electrochemical stability toward methanol oxidation than Pt ₅₀-Ru₅₀ binary alloy. A catalyst with Pt ₄₃Ru₃₃Co₁₄W₁₀ composition is the most active, demonstrating an enhancement in the activity of ca. 40 ∼ 70% compared with the commercial binary Pt₅₀-Ru₅₀ E-TEK catalyst. The enhancement of catalytic activity can be explained by bifunctional mechanism, electronic effect, redox process and cooperative synergic effects of added Co and W metals.