One-Pot Water-Based Synthesis of Pt–Pd Alloy Nanoflowers and Their Superior Electrocatalytic Activity for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction and Remarkable Methanol-Tolerant Ability in Acid Media

By Fu, Gengtao; Wu, Ke; Lin, Jun; Tang, Yawen; Chen, Yu; Zhou, Yiming & Lu, Tianhong
Published in The Journal of Physical Chemistry C NULL 2013

Abstract

Well-defined and strikingly monomorphic Pt -Pd alloy nanoflowers (Pt -Pd ANFs) with dominant 111 facets were successfully synthesized through a facile cochemical reduction method in a poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) based aqueous solution. The detailed morphology, composition, and structure of the Pt -Pd ANFs were investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected-area electron diffraction (SAED), energy dispersive spectrum (EDS), nitrogen adsorption -desorption isotherms (SADI), EDS mapping, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), demonstrating the Pt -Pd ANFs were highly porous and a self-supported structure. The formation mechanism of the Pt -Pd ANFs were investigated by TEM and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), indicating that the existence of PAH and rapid growth of crystal nuclei were essential for the formation of the Pt -Pd ANFs. The electrocatalytic activity and stability of the Pt -Pd ANFs for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) were investigated by rotating disk electrode voltammetry in 0.1 M HClO4 solution. The electrochemical tests indicated the 111 -enclosed Pt -Pd ANFs exhibited superior ORR activity along with satisfactory stability and methanol-tolerant ability under acidic conditions, which made them promising electrocatalysts for the future.

Read Article » Back