Controlled synthesis of hierarchical tetrapod Pd nanocrystals and their enhanced electrocatalytic properties

Well-defined highly branched hierarchical tetrapod Pd nanocrystals with mutually embedded metameres were successfully synthesized with Pd(acac)(2) as a precursor and CO as a reducing agent in the presence of SDS. SDS played an essential role in controlling the hierarchical tetrapod morphologies of the final products. The formation of the hierarchical Pd tetrapods was ascribed to the SDS-confined growth from the four tips along the <111> directions. The as-prepared hierarchical Pd nanostructures demonstrated outstanding electrocatalytic activity.