Synthesis and Characterization of Dendritic Pt Nanoparticles by Using Cationic Surfactant

Platinum (Pt) is known as one of the most promising electrocatalysts, and nanostructured Pt materials have enhanced its activity due to their abundant catalytically active sites derived from their high surface area. Herein, we synthesize fascinating dendritic Pt nanoparticles (DPNs) by a soft-templating method using hexadecyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC) as a pore-forming agent. The dissolved negatively charged Pt precursor (PtCl42−) effectively interact with the surfactant. The particle size of the obtained DPNs is around 20 nm, and the pore walls are composed of Pt nanocrystals. The obtained DPNs show good electrocatalytic activity towards methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) compared to commercial Pt black (PtB), and its stability is also higher than that of PtB.