Six Pt−Ru/carbon nanocomposites have been prepared, using five different Pt,Ru-bimetallic precursors as
sources of metal. Nanocomposites prepared from precursors lacking phosphorus contain Pt−Ru nanocrystals
that are highly dispersed on the carbon support, as expected. However, nanocomposites prepared from precursors
possessing phosphorus contain a mixture of face-centered-cubic Pt−Ru alloy nanocrystals and primitive-cubic nanocrystals of an interstitial ternary metal phosphide phase identified as PtRuP2. Nanocomposites
containing substantial amounts of nano-PtRuP2 perform as well as a commercial Pt−Ru/carbon nanocomposite
in the role of an anode catalyst in direct methanol fuel cells. Although the exclusion of metal phosphide
phases in Pt−Ru nanocomposite syntheses is best achieved by eliminating all sources of phosphorus, the
presence of PtRuP2 in such nanocomposites does not poison methanol electrooxidation. Investigation of the
synthesis and electrocatalytic reactivity of pure PtRuE
x
(where E denotes a main-group heteroelement) phases
is suggested.
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