Glucose-directed synthesis of Pt-Cu alloy nanowires networks and their electro-catalytic performance for ethylene glycol oxidation.

Three-dimensional (3D) network structure nanomaterials (NMs) show excellent catalytic performance due to the larger active surface area. A glucose-directed, surfactant-free and one-step direct chemical co-reduction method for synthesis of Pt-Cu alloy nanowires (NWs) under room temperature was demonstrated in present paper. The Pt-Cu NWs were obtained through the co-reduced of CuCl 2 and H 2 PtCl 6 by sodium borohydride in the presence of glucose, the glucose in which not only acted as one-dimensional (1D) growth-directing agent, also as the stabilizing agent. The average diameter of NWs was about 3.1 nm and NWs showed typical face-centered-cubic (fcc) alloy crystal structure. The influence of Pt/Cu ions ratios in precursor solution on the bimetallic composition of NWs had been studied, and NWs displayed the feature of composition-tuning. The electro-catalytic activity of Pt-Cu alloy NWs for ethylene glycol oxidation reaction (EGOR) in alkaline medium was strongly related on their compositions. The Pt 31 Cu 69 NWs exhibited about 1.8 times higher than that of commercial Pt/C and higher durability. The enhanced catalytic performance of Pt-Cu alloy NWs was mainly attributed to their unique 3D network structure and the synergetic effects between Pt and Cu. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]