Rational Design of Nanosized Pt Immobilized on Biomass-Derived Porous Carbon for Enhanced Methanol Oxidation

We present the rational design of nanosized Pt nanocrystals immobilized on biomass-derived porous carbon matrices (Pt/BPC) through a convenient and eco-friendly strategy using wheat flour as a sustainable precursor. Interestingly, the three-dimensional BPC conductive network with optimized pore geometry enables enhanced metal–support interaction through d-orbital electron coupling, while the nitrogen-rich carbon scaffold provides abundant nucleation sites for the growth of ultrasmall Pt and effectively prevents them from aggregation. Accordingly, the resultant Pt/BPC catalyst demonstrates exceptional methanol oxidation performance with a large electrochemical surface area, a high mass activity of 1232.5 mA mg−1, and excellent long-term stability, representing significant improvements over conventional carbon (e.g., carbon black, carbon nanotube, graphene, etc.)-supported Pt catalysts.