Tailoring the Surface Structures of CuPt and CuPtRu 1D Nanostructures by Coupling Coreduction with Galvanic Replacement. (24th April 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mathurin, Leanne E.; Benamara, Mourad; Tao, Jing; Zhu, Yimei; Chen, Jingyi
• Is Part Of: Particle and particle systems characterization. Volume 35:Number 5(2018)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2018-04-24
• Subjects: bimetallic nanostructures -- electrocatalysis -- methanol oxidation reaction -- nanowires -- shape‐controlled synthesis; Particles -- Periodicals; 620.43
• DOI: 10.1002/ppsc.201800053
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0934-0866

Abstract

Abstract: 1D metal nanostructures exhibit unique properties due to their high aspect ratio for use in many applications including electrocatalysis. This work develops a solution‐based approach to 1D multimetal nanostructures with tunable surface structures by combining the two processes of coreduction and galvanic replacement. In this approach, noble metals of Pt and Ru are reduced in the presence of in situ formed Cu seeds. At high concentrations of noble metal precursors, coreduction dominates over galvanic replacement, leading to overgrowth of ultrafine, particulate, or branched structures on the surface of the 1D nanostructures. The surface roughness and composition can be tuned by varying the concentrations of noble metal precursors. The electrochemical reactivity is not only affected by the surface roughness (i.e., the size of particulates and the level of branches) but also the surface composition (i.e., the amount of Pt content). For trimetallic nanostructures, the alloy composition prevents the dissolution of Ru thereby improving electrocatalytic stability of the catalyst under acidic conditions. The structure–property study reveals that the surface structure plays an important role in tailoring the electrocatalytic property of a catalyst. Abstract : An integrated approach of coreduction and galvanic replacement is demonstrated for the synthesis of 1D CuPt and CuPtRu nanostructures with tunable surface structures. Overgrowth of ultrafine, particulate, or branched structures on the surface of the 1D nanostructures can be controlled by varying the precursor concentrations. The surface structure is critically important in tailoring the electrocatalytic activity of a catalyst.