Hollow platinum spheres with nano-channels: Synthesis and enhanced catalysis for oxygen reduction

Hollow nanostructures are a particularly interesting class of materials that have unusual chemical and physical characteristics that are determined by their shape and composition. A facile procedure for the hollow Pt nanosphere catalysts with nanochannels was developed; the catalysts can be simply prepared at room temperature with silver nanoparticles as sacrificial templates. The incomplete shell of hollow nanospheres may provide the interior surface for the catalytic reaction, and the high surface area of Pt nanospheres leads to a higher catalytic activity. Consequently, these results demonstrate a simple route to enhance the catalytic efficiency of Pt catalysts by a simple improvement.