Microporous-mesoporous carbon material synthesized from D-(+)-glucose using hydrothermal carbonization method was used as a porous support for platinum nanoparticles catalyst for oxygen electroreduction reaction (ORR). The platinum nanoparticles were deposited onto the support using sodium borohydride reduction method. The XRD, HRTEM, HRSEM, EDX, Raman spectroscopy and low-temperature N 2 adsorption/desorption techniques were used to characterize the structures of unmodified and Pt-nanoclusters modified materials. The carbon support with high specific surface area (1190 m 2 g −1 ) composes of almost ideally spherical amorphous microporous particles. The platinum nanoparticles are well dispersed on the surface of carbon particles. Cyclic voltammetry, rotating disc electrode and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy were applied to investigate the electrochemical behavior and ORR kinetics at the materials in 0.5 M H 2 SO 4 aqueous solution. The Pt-nanoclusters modified material has good ORR activity but on the non-modified carbon support the ORR is sluggish. Cyclic voltammetry and impedance data showed that unmodified and Pt-nanoclusters modified materials have noticeable double layer (≈ 200 F g −1 ) and faradaic capacitances (up to 250 F g −1 ).
Electroreduction of oxygen on the microporous-mesoporous carbon material synthesized from D-(+)-glucose applying hydrothermal carbonization and activated additionally with carbon dioxide method has been studied at the unmodified and Pt-nanoclusters modified electrodes. Electrochemical experiments have been carried out in argon or oxygen saturated 0.1 M KOH solution using the cyclic voltammetry, rotating disk electrode and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy techniques. The carbon material modified with Pt-nanoclusters shows high cathodic current densities up to −67 A m −2 at 3000 rpm. Furthermore, the number of electrons transferred during the oxygen electroreduction is close to four, suggesting that the oxygen reduction reaction on the Pt-nanoclusters modified material could be dominated by a four-electron reduction pathway. The oxygen reduction reaction at unmodified material proceeds through a two-electron reduction pathway within the lower cathodic overpotential region, but changes to a four-electron reduction process within the higher cathodic overpotential region. Compared to the results of the same materials in 0.5 M H 2 SO 4 , higher catalytic activity has been determined in the case of 0.1 M KOH aqueous solution.
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