LAUSR

Porous SnO2 hexagonal prisms, as a new promoter, were attached to Pd-based systems held by a reduced graphene oxide (rGO) support (Pd–SnO2/rGO) for the catalysis of the electrooxidation reaction of methanol. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) tests revealed that the electrocatalytic activity and stability were substantially improved by SnO2 with a special morphology. The specific activity (SA, jk, area) and mass activity (MA, jk, area) of Pd–SnO2/rGO were enhanced 1.31 and 3.3 times those of the Pd/rGO catalyst, respectively. Moreover, the CO-tolerance was also remarkably enhanced due to the presence of SnO2. It is believed that higher surface areas, more active sites, which are offered by the porous architecture of SnO2, as well as the synergetic effect between all components contribute to the improvement of the catalytic activities of the Pd–SnO2/rGO catalysts. Cost savings and the CO-poisoning obstacle being surmounted, which are the two main probing directions for elevating the overall performance of direct methanol fuel cells, makes the as-prepared Pd–SnO2/rGO a promising electrocatalyst.