Designing highly active Unique Hollow@ (Au@Pt) core–shell nanostructure as electro-catalyst for ethanol oxidation reactions

A Unique Hollow@ (Au@Pt) core–shell nanostructure has been prepared by the in-situ sacrificial template method. Silica nanoparticles were used as a template which synthesized according to the Stöber synthesis method. A one-step procedure was applied to synthesis core–shell particles, followed by selective etching of silica particles by HF solution to synthesis the mono-dispersed hollow structure. The prepared Hollow@(Au@Pt) nanostructures can be used as superior catalysts for electrochemical ethanol oxidation. The results confirmed the formation of nanoparticles consisting of integrating two core–shell structures, forming a shell around the silica core, consisting of the core–shell structure of gold-centered and platinum-coated shells. Most importantly, core–shell structures showed excellent electro-catalytic activity. The electrochemical active surface area (ECSA) for SiO 2 @(Au@Pt), and Hollow@(Au@Pt) was 49.2, and 104.8 m 2 g −1 . The retention of mass activity for ethanol electro-oxidation, after 60 min, was 99.07% and 99.41% for SiO 2 @(Au@Pt), and Hollow@(Au@Pt), respectively. Graphical abstract