Synthesis of Pt-Pd Bimetallic Porous Nanostructures as Electrocatalysts for the Methanol Oxidation Reaction

Pt-based bimetallic nanostructures have attracted a great deal of attention due to their unique nanostructures and excellent catalytic properties. In this study, we prepared porous Pt-Pd nanoparticles using an efficient, one-pot co-reduction process without using any templates or toxic reactants. In this process, Pt-Pd nanoparticles with different nanostructures were obtained by adjusting the temperature and ratio of the two precursors; and their catalytic properties for the oxidation of methanol were studied. The porous Pt-Pd nanostructures showed better electrocatalytic activity for the oxidation of methanol with a higher current density (0.67 mA/cm²), compared with the commercial Pt/C catalyst (0.31 mA/cm²). This method provides one easy pathway to economically prepare different alloy nanostructures for various applications.