Electrocatalytic activity of Vulcan-supported PtSn (PtSn/C) nanostructured alloys toward electrooxidation of dimethyl ether (DME), a potential small-organic-molecule fuel, has been significantly enhanced in acid medium (0.5 mol dm⁻³ H₂SO₄) by decorating PtSn/C with ruthenium black or bimetallic PtRu nanoparticles. The enhancement effect concerns both shifting the onset potential for the DME-oxidation toward less positive values and increase of the DME electrocatalytic current densities recorded under both cyclic voltammetric and chronoamperometric conditions. The activating capabilities of ruthenium nanostructures seem to originate from the existence of reactive ruthenium oxo/hydroxo groups (even below 0.45 V vs. RHE) on their surfaces capable of inducing the oxidative removal of poisoning (CO-type) adsorbates from the neighboring platinum catalytic sites. In that respect, the Ru-oxo species originating from Ru or PtRu additives seem to support activity of Sn cocatalytic sites interacting with Pt within the PtSn heterogenous alloy. The Ru-decorated PtSn/C and, in particular, PtSn/C admixed with PtRu exhibit very high activity toward the oxidation of methanol which is also an important DME-oxidation intermediate. On the whole, the hybrid materials composed of Vulcan-supported PtSn decorated with Ru or PtRu nanoparticles seem to act as multifunctional nanoreactors inducing not only oxidative stripping of poisoning adsorbates but also catalyzing oxidation of the DME-reaction intermediates (methanol).

Vulcan 负载的 PtSn (PtSn/C) 纳米结构合金对二甲醚 (DME)（一种潜在的小有机分子燃料）电氧化的电催化活性在酸性介质（0.5 mol dm ^-3 H ₂ SO ₄) 通过用钌黑或双金属 PtRu 纳米粒子装饰 PtSn/C。增强效应涉及将 DME 氧化的起始电位向较低的正值转移，以及在循环伏安法和计时电流法条件下记录的 DME 电催化电流密度的增加。钌纳米结构的活化能力似乎源于其表面存在反应性钌氧/羟基基团（甚至低于 0.45 V vs. RHE），能够诱导氧化去除来自相邻铂催化剂的中毒（CO 型）吸附物网站。在这方面，源自 Ru 或 PtRu 添加剂的 Ru-oxo 物种似乎支持 Sn 共催化位点与 PtSn 异质合金中的 Pt 相互作用的活性。Ru 装饰的 PtSn/C，特别是，PtSn/C 与 PtRu 混合对甲醇的氧化表现出非常高的活性，甲醇也是重要的 DME 氧化中间体。总的来说，由用 Ru 或 PtRu 纳米粒子修饰的 Vulcan 负载的 PtSn 组成的混合材料似乎充当多功能纳米反应器，不仅诱导中毒吸附物的氧化剥离，而且还催化 DME 反应中间体（甲醇）的氧化。