PdCu Alloy Flower-like Nanocages with High Electrocatalytic Performance for Methanol Oxidation

PdCu alloy flower-like nanocages are synthesized through corner-etched Cu2O octahedra as templates by galvanic reaction and disproportionation reaction. PdCu alloy nanocages are obtained with the molar ratio of H2PdCl4/Cu2O = 1:1, and the Pd nanoparticles are prepared with the molar ratio of H2PdCl4/Cu2O = 2:1. The PdCu alloy flower-like nanocages display the highest catalytic activity compared with Pd nanoparticles toward methanol oxidation reaction in alkaline medium, which is 2.7 times than that of commercial Pd/C. In addition, PdCu alloy nanocages also show high poison-tolerance and good stability. The superior electrocatalytic performance of PdCu flower-like nanocages may be attributed to the unique flower-like nanocage structure with high surface area and the synergic effect of Pd and Cu.