Facile solvothermal synthesis of Pt76Co24 nanomyriapods for efficient electrocatalysis

Abstract

Despite increasing research studies in the past few decades, it is still a challenge to find highly efficient catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Herein, a one-pot solvothermal method was developed for constructing Pt₇₆Co₂₄ nanomyriapods (NMs) with abundant active sites, where L-glutamic acid and cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC) were used as the green reductant and structure directing agent, respectively. The architecture had a larger electrochemically active surface area (ECSA) of 24.49 m² g⁻¹ than Pt₄₉Co₅₁ nanoparticles (NPs, 15.17 m² g⁻¹), Pt₈₀Co₂₀ NPs (16.71 m² g⁻¹) and commercial Pt black (20.35 m² g⁻¹), and exhibited superior catalytic performances for ORR and HER. The mass activity of Pt₇₆Co₂₄ NMs (105.26 mA mg_Pt⁻¹) for ORR was twice as high as Pt black (47.35 mA mg_Pt⁻¹). And the Pt₇₆Co₂₄ NM catalyst exhibited better durability in acid media relative to Pt black and/or Pt/C (20 wt%). This work would have practical applications in catalysis, and energy storage and conversion.