Self-assembly of Au-Pt core-shell nanoparticles for effective enhancement of methanol electrooxidation

Au-Pt core-shell nanoparticles (Au-Pt NPs) as an effective bimetallic electrocatalyst for methanol oxidation has been extensively explored. However, the conventional drop-coating method for fabricating Au-Pt NP electrodes did not fully exploit the small size of the NPs. Here, self-assembly of Au-Pt NPs into monolayer arrays is proposed as an alternative for the preparation of Au-Pt NP catalytic electrode to ensure the exposure of each NP to electrolyte. Under the optimized condition, the Pt mass activity of the Au-Pt monolayer array was similar to 6 times better than that of the commercial Pt/C catalyst, and 3 times better than that of Au-Pt NP electrodes fabricated by a drop-coating method, indicating superior electrocatalytic activity. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.