Nanosized Rh grown on single-walled carbon nanohorns for efficient methanol oxidation reaction

Reasonable design and controllable synthesis of non-Pt catalysts with high methanol oxidation activity are regarded as a valid way to promote the large-scale com-mercial applications of direct methanol fuel cells(DMFCs).Herein,we develop a convenient and cost-ef-fective approach to the successful fabrication of nanosized Rh grown on single-walled carbon nanohorns(Rh/SWCNH)as anode catalysts for DMFCs.The unique architectural configuration endows the as-obtained hybrids with a series of intriguing structural merits,including large specific surface areas,abundant opened holes,optimized electronic structures,homogeneous Rh dispersion,and good electrical conductivity.As a consequence,the resulting Rh/SWCNH catalysts exhibit exceptional elec-trocatalytic properties in terms of a large electrochemically active surface area of 102.5 m^(2)·g^(-1),a high mass activity of 784.0 mA·mg^(-1),as well as reliable long-term durability towards the methanol oxidation reaction in alkaline media,thereby holding great potential as alternatives for com-mercial Pt/carbon black and Pd/carbon black catalysts.