Electroless synthesis of platinum and platinum–ruthenium nanotubes and their application in methanol oxidation

Abstract

A dependable and mild deposition procedure for the first electroless synthesis of platinum nanotubes in ion track etched polycarbonate was developed. It utilizes ethylenediamine to adjust the reactivity of Pt(IV) towards reduction and allows the controlled deposition of nanoscale platinum films, wires and tubes at room temperature. Single crystal structure determination proves the formation of Pt(II) as a side product next to elemental platinum. Highly polycrystalline nanostructures of 100 to 900 nm diameter and up to 30 μm length were obtained and characterized by TEM, SEM, EDS and XRD. The platinum nanotubes showed high activity in the electrooxidation of methanol in acidic environment. To illustrate the possibilities for synthesizing bimetallic nanotubes in the presented system, ruthenium was introduced by electroless and spontaneous deposition methods. The corresponding surface-normalized current densities are strongly dependent on the preparation method and can surpass commercial fuel cell catalysts, confirming the efficiency and flexibility of electroless metal plating in the preparation of nanomaterials.