Nanostructured platinum-on-carbon model electrocatalysts prepared by colloidal lithography

We describe the preparation of novel, nanostructured model catalysts for electrocatalytic studies, consisting of Pt nanoparticles with well-defined particle size and separation supported on glassy carbon. The model catalysts are fabricated by colloidal lithography (CL) and characterized with respect to their morphology and their electrochemical and electrocatalytic properties by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry and CO electrooxidation. The resulting data – with comparatively large particles – closely resemble those obtained on polycrystalline Pt electrodes, demonstrating that CL is a viable method for the preparation of well-defined model systems with successively smaller structures for electrocatalytic studies.