Angstrom-scale vanadium carbide rods as Pt electrocatalyst support for efficient methanol oxidation reaction

Abstract

Angstrom-scale vanadium carbide rods combined with carbon (denoted as C–V₈C₇ (rods)) are synthesized through an ion-exchange route. The angstrom-scale C–V₈C₇ (rods) show better promotion effect on Pt than the nanoscale C–V₈C₇ (particles) towards methanol oxidation reaction (MOR). Furthermore, Pt particle loading on C–V₈C₇ (rods) (denoted as Pt/C–V₈C₇ (rods)) show much higher MOR activity and stability than commercial Pt/C electrocatalyst. The present method is imagined to be adopted to easily synthesize other angstrom-scale materials.