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Graphical abstract Abstract Electrochemical property and detection performance of nanocatalysts are largely affected by the component and morphology. Here, an advanced class of PtCu nanocrystal with uniform trifurcate structure has been synthesized by using KI as the structure-directing agent during the reduction process. Due to the large surface area of such synthesized dendritic trifurcate nanocrystal and the synergistic effect between Pt and Cu, this nanocatalyst performed nicely when applied it to the electrochemical detection of caffeic acid. Specifically, the detection limit is 0.35 μM (S/N = 3) and the linear range is wide from 1.2 μM-1.9 mM. The finding may be beneficial for developing novel and high-performance sensors for the monitoring of dietetical and environmental safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]