Role of microporosity of carbon produced from rice husks on electrochemical performance of Pt-Ru catalyst for direct methanol fuel cells

Activated carbon was synthesized from rice husks via chemical activation using different ratios of AC:KOH (1:1, 1:2, 1:3, and 1:4). Pt-Ru was deposited on the activated rice husks (A-RHs) by a chemical reduction method. The A-RH (1:3) exhibited a large surface area (>2000m²/g) and high total pore volume (1.47cm³/g), providing optimal conditions for Pt-Ru dispersion and subsequent improvement of electrochemical performances. Consequently, it was found that the electrochemical behavior of A-RH catalyst was improved by larger active surface area and optimal pore structure, suggesting new potential for rice husks as a superior direct methanol fuel cell catalyst.