Cu2+-regulated one-pot wet-chemical synthesis of uniform PdCu nanostars for electrocatalytic oxidation of ethylene glycol and glycerol

The fabrication of effective and stable electrocatalysts is crucial for practical applications of direct alcohol fuel cells (DAFCs). In this study, bimetallic PdCu nanostars (PdCu NSs) were fabricated by a Cu2+-modulated one-pot wet-chemical method, where cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) worked as a structure-regulating reagent. The morphology, compositions, crystal structures and formation mechanism of the as-prepared PdCu NSs were investigated by a series of techniques. The unique architectures created abundant active sites, which resulted in a large electrochemical active surface area (9.5 m2 g-1). The PdCu NSs showed negative shifts in the onset potentials and large forward peak current densities by contrast with those of commercial Pd black for the catalytic ethylene glycol oxidation reaction (EGOR) and glycerol oxidation reaction (GOR). It revealed that the PdCu NSs outperformed Pd black in the similar surroundings. This work provides a constructive strategy for fabrication of high-efficiency electrocatalysts for alcohol fuel cells.

Automated summary

In this study, bimetallic PdCu nanostars (PdCu NSs) were synthesized by a Cu2+-modulated one-pot wet-chemical method with the assistance of cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) as a structure-regulating reagent. The as-prepared PdCu NSs demonstrated abundant active sites and a large electrochemical active surface area (9.5 m2 g-1). Compared to commercial Pd black, the PdCu NSs exhibited negative shifts in the onset potentials and higher forward peak current densities for the catalytic ethylene glycol oxidation reaction (EGOR) and glycerol oxidation reaction (GOR), indicating superior performance in similar environments. This work provides a constructive strategy for the fabrication of high-efficiency electrocatalysts for alcohol fuel cells.