Remarkable enhancement of electrocatalytic activity by tuning the interface of Pd-Au bimetallic nanoparticle tubes

ACS Nano. 2011 May 24;5(5):4211-8. doi: 10.1021/nn2010602. Epub 2011 Apr 26.

Abstract

The interface, which formed in a bimetallic system, is a critical issue to investigate the fundamental mechanism of enhanced catalytic activity. Here, we designed unsupported Pd-Au bimetallic nanoparticle tubes with a tunable interface, which was qualitatively controlled by the proportion of Pd and Au nanoparticles (NPs), to demonstrate the remarkably enhanced effect of Pd and Au NPs in electro-oxidation of ethanol. The results demonstrated that the electrocatalytic activity is highly relative to the interface and has no direct relation with individual metal component in the Pd-Au system. This effect helps us in achieving a fundamental understanding of the relationship between their activity and the interface structure and chemical properties and, consequently, is helpful in designing new catalysts with high performances.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Catalysis
  • Crystallization / methods*
  • Electrochemistry / methods*
  • Gold / chemistry*
  • Macromolecular Substances / chemistry
  • Materials Testing
  • Molecular Conformation
  • Nanostructures / chemistry*
  • Nanostructures / ultrastructure*
  • Palladium / chemistry*
  • Particle Size
  • Surface Properties

Substances

  • Macromolecular Substances
  • Palladium
  • Gold