Preparation of platinum inverse opals using self-assembled templates and their application in methanol oxidation

Synthetic opals were prepared on indium tin oxide (ITO) glass substrates from a highly monodisperse polystyrene dispersion. Platinum was then electrodeposited through the interstitial space of the opal matrix. The platinum inverse opal (Pt-IOp) was subsequently obtained by the removal of the polystyrene template, leaving a highly ordered three dimensional structure. Both the opal template and platinum (Pt) inverse opal were characterised by scanning electron microscopy, UV–visible spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry. The results confirmed that the Pt inverse opal (Pt-IOp) has a microporous structure with high surface area and exhibits excellent electrochemical property. The electrocatalytic application of the resulting nanostructured Pt inverse opal electrodes for methanol oxidation was also investigated. The nanostructured Pt-IOp electrode showed a catalytic activity and highly stable electrocatalytic performance in methanol oxidation.