Eutectic salts assisted synthesis of MOF-derived porous carbon as Pt–Sn catalyst support for ethanol oxidation reaction

The development of ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) catalysts with high performance is an emerging need of direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs). Rational design of support materials of platinum-based catalyst can significantly enhance its catalytic performance for EOR. Here, the highly porous nitrogen-doped carbon material (NC-E) from ZIF-8 was synthesized using a novel and simple method assisted by eutectic salts. Compared with the carbon material obtained from ZIF-8 by traditional calcination (NC-T) and carbon black, the NC-E with high surface area and hierarchical pore structure supported Pt–Sn catalyst exhibits improved electrochemical activity and stability.