Ordered PdCu-Based Core-Shell Concave Nanocubes Enclosed by High-Index Facets for Ethanol Electrooxidation

Crystal phase engineering is a powerful strategy for regulating the performance of electrocatalysts toward many electrocatalytic reactions. Herein we demonstrate that Au@Pd1Cu concave nanocubes (CNCs) with an ordered body-centered cubic (bcc) PdCu alloy shell enclosed by many high active high-index facets can be adopted as highly active yet stable electrocatalysts for the ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR). These CNCs are more efficient than other nanocrystals with a disordered face-centered cubic (fcc) PdCu alloy surface and display high mass and specific activities of 10.59 A mg(pd)(-1) and 33.24 mA cm(-2), which are 11.7 times and 4.1 times higher than those of commercial Pd black, respectively. Our core-shell CNCs also exhibit robust durability with the weakest decay in activity after 250 potential-scanning cycles, as well as outstanding antipoisoning ability. Alloying with Cu and the ordered bcc phase surface can provide abundant OHads species to oxidize carbonaceous poison to avoid catalyst poisoning, and the exposed high-index facets on the surface can act as highly catalytic sites.

Automated summary

Crystal phase engineering can lead to the development of efficient and stable electrocatalysts using metal alloy nanocrystals. The incorporation of Cu in the alloy and the ordered bcc phase surface provide abundant active sites for reactions, while the exposed high-index facets on the surface act as highly catalytic sites.