Full Length Article Methanol electro-oxidation with alloy nanoparticles of Pt 10x –Fe x supported on CNTs J.R. Rodriguez a , S. Fuentes-Moyado a , T.A. Zepeda a , J.N. Díaz de León a , J. Cruz-Reyes b , M.T. Oropeza-Guzman c , G. Berhault d , G. Alonso-Núñez a,d,⇑ a Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Centro de Nanociencias y Nanotecnología, Ensenada, BC C.P. 22860, Mexico b Facultad de Ciencias Químicas e Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Tijuana, BC, Mexico c Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo Tecnológico en Electroquímica, Tijuana, BC C.P. 22444, Mexico d Institut de Recherches sur la Catalyse et l’Environnement de Lyon (IRCELYON), CNRS – Université Lyon I, Villeurbanne, France highlights  PtFe alloy nanoparticles (d < 4 nm) from coordination complex synthesis of Pt.  Pt 10x –Fe x /CNTs show a behavior volcano-type of their catalytic activity in DMFC reaction.  The optimal ratio Fe:Pt (3:7) to maximize the catalytic activity in DMFC. graphical abstract article info Article history: Received 17 March 2016 Received in revised form 13 May 2016 Accepted 15 May 2016 Keywords: Pt–Fe CNTs Nanoalloy Electrocatalysts abstract This study reports the electrocatalytic activity of alloyed Pt 10x –Fe x /CNTs (x = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) and Pt/CNTs nanoparticles. These materials were synthesized using the Brust–Schiffrin method and were tested as potential anodic electrocatalysts in a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC). SEM, EDS, XRD, TEM and TGA studies were performed to confirm the formation of Pt–Fe alloyed nanoparticles. The nanoalloys material supported on CNTs showed a volcano-type behavior for methanol electro-oxidation when varying the rel- ative Fe:Pt stoichiometry. An enhancement of electrocatalytic activity was observed for alloyed nanopar- ticles with Fe:Pt 63:7 ratios. This effect was attributed to a rearrangement of the electronic structure of the Pt nanoparticles surface induced by Fe atoms. On the other hand, high Fe:Pt ratios (P4:6) led to depleted activities caused by a decrease of the methanol dehydrogenation process on the alloyed nanoparticles surface. Cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry measurements indicated that a ratio of Fe:Pt = 3:7 is the optimum to obtain the best electrocatalytic activity on CNTs-supported alloyed nanoparticles for methanol oxidation reaction. Ó 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction Fuel cells (FCs) have been used as an attractive power source for a broad range of applications, such as transportation and portable http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2016.05.070 0016-2361/Ó 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. ⇑ Corresponding author at: Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Centro de Nanociencias y Nanotecnología, Ensenada, BC C.P. 22860, Mexico. E-mail address: galonso@cnyn.unam.mx (G. Alonso-Núñez). Fuel 182 (2016) 1–7 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Fuel journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/fuel