Electrochemical Synthesis of Nanostructured Palladium of Different Morphology Directly on Gold Substrate through a Cyclic Deposition/Dissolution Route

Uniform nanostructured palladium (Pd) has been successfully electrodeposited directly on gold substrate through a facile template-free approach, which involved a cyclic electrochemical deposition/dissolution of Pd. Under the regulation of potential scan and surfactant, standing Pd nanoplates and nanotrees were prepared. Improved and superior electrocatalytic activities toward the oxidation of ethanol were observed from these electrodes coated with nanostructured Pd. Furthermore, the uniform Pd nanostructures can be conveniently deposited onto a flexible substrate with a gold precoating, thus allowing fabrication of miniaturized flexible devices. This approach provides a simple route for the synthesis of highly catalytic Pd nanostructures with an excellent electrical contact to a substrate, which is important for the overall device performance. The critical effects exerted by the electrochemical conditions and surfactant will also be discussed.