Bromide-assisted synthesis of PtSb nanowires for enhanced electrocatalytic oxidation of ethylene glycol and glycerol

In the field of electrocatalysis, Sb doping was first exploited for formic acid oxidation, thereby laying the groundwork for Sb-based catalytic materials; meanwhile, previous studies have demonstrated that Br - ions can effectively tailor the morphology of metals such as Au and Ag, offering a transferable strategy for the shape optimization of other metallic nanostructures. However, the application of PtSb alloys in the electro-oxidation of polyols remains scarce, and the precise morphological control of PtSb nanomaterials to boost catalytic performance is still an urgent challenge. Inspired by the documented role of Br - , this work successfully synthesized PtSb nanomaterials and achieved a directed transformation from nanoparticles to nanowires through Br - -mediated modulation. Systematic characterization and electrochemical evaluation revealed that the resultant PtSb nanowires exhibited exceptional activity in ethylene-glycol and glycerol oxidation, delivering mass activities of 10,600 and 6656 mA/mg Pt , respectively. After 4000 s of continuous electrochemical testing, the nanowires retained stable residual activities of 1358 and 615 mA/mg Pt in the two electrolytes, significantly surpassing those of commercial Pt/C. By minimizing noble-metal usage while simultaneously enhancing both activity and stability, this study provides new insight for the development of high-performance fuel-cell catalysts.