Platinum-modified covalent triazine frameworks hybridized with carbon nanoparticles as methanol-tolerant oxygen reduction electrocatalysts

Abstract

Covalent triazine frameworks, which are crosslinked porous polymers with two-dimensional molecular structures, are promising materials for heterogeneous catalysts. However, the application of the frameworks as electrocatalysts has not been achieved to date because of their poor electrical conductivity. Here we report that platinum-modified covalent triazine frameworks hybridized with conductive carbon nanoparticles are successfully synthesized by introducing carbon nanoparticles during the polymerization process of covalent triazine frameworks. The resulting materials exhibit clear electrocatalytic activity for oxygen reduction reactions in acidic solutions. More interestingly, the platinum-modified covalent triazine frameworks show almost no activity for methanol oxidation, in contrast to commercial carbon-supported platinum. Thus, platinum-modified covalent triazine frameworks hybridized with carbon nanoparticles exhibit selective activity for oxygen reduction reactions even in the presence of high concentrations of methanol, which indicates potential utility as a cathode catalyst in direct methanol fuel cells.