Nano-dendritic PdPtCu alloys for efficient dye degradation through plasmon-enhanced Fenton-like reaction

Using thymine as a structure-directing agent, this study successfully prepared trimetallic platinum-palladium-copper nano-dendrites (PdPtCu NDs) with a highly branched architecture for plasmonic catalytic applications. The material exhibits a uniform and well-dispersed nano-spike structure, significantly increasing its specific surface area and exposing more active sites. At the atomic scale, the close integration of platinum, palladium, and copper, along with the modulation of the electronic structure, synergistically optimizes the material's physicochemical properties. Under near-infrared (NIR) irradiation, the PdPtCu NDs effectively convert incident light energy into heat through surface plasmon resonance and metal-metal synergistic effects, rapidly increasing the system's temperature and significantly enhancing the efficiency of H 2 O 2 decomposition into hydroxyl radical (•OH). This characteristic suggests a strong synergistic effect with Fenton-like catalytic performance, thereby accelerating the oxidative degradation of dye molecules. This coupling effect overcomes several limitations of traditional Fenton reactions, including low efficiency, the need for acidic conditions, and the generation of iron precipitates.