Transition metal silicides as low-cost and earth-abundant inorganic materials are becoming indispensable constituents in catalytic systems for a variety of applications and exhibit excellent properties for sustainable industrial process.

Highly active Pt–WC_x /carbon nanotube (CNT) electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) have been developed by the combination of tungsten carbide with CNTs as electrocatalyst supports. The obtained WC_x /CNT and Pt–WC_x /CNT samples were characterized by XRD, TEM, XPS and electrochemical measurements. The results showed that nanostructured tungsten carbide particles on carbon nanotubes could be prepared by microwave-assisted thermolytic molecular precursor method, and the particle size of tungsten carbide increased with the increase of tungsten loading. The nanostructured WC_x /CNTs showed electrocatalytic activity for oxygen reduction reaction. The deposition of Pt nanoparticles on the WC_x /CNTs resulted in higher electrocatalytic activity for the oxygen reduction reaction and better immunity to methanol than Pt/CNT catalysts. The unique electrocatalytic properties of the novel Pt–WC_x /CNT electrocatalyst were attributed to a synergistic effect between Pt, WC_x and the CNTs. The findings also indicated that WC_x /CNTs were efficient electrocatalyst supports that could reduce Pt usage while the same electrocatalytic properties were kept for the ORR in direct methanol fuel cells.