Highly porous Au-Pt urchin-like bimetallic nanocrystals have been prepared by a one-pot wet-chemical synthesis method. The porosity of urchin-like bimetallic nanocrystals was controlled by amounts of hydrazine used as reductant. The prepared highly porous Au-Pt urchin-like nanocrystals were superior catalysts of electrochemical methanol oxidation due to high porosity and surface active sites by their unique morphology. This approach will pave the way for the design of bimetallic porous materials with unprecedented functions.
Keywords: bimetallic nanocrystals; electrocatalysis; methanol oxidation reaction; porous nanostructures.