Self-supported porous 2D AuCu triangular nanoprisms as model electrocatalysts for ethylene glycol and glycerol oxidation

Abstract

Shape-controlled synthesis of self-supported metallic nanocrystals with abundant active surface areas is of vital importance for the design and fabrication of novel outstandingly excellent electrocatalysts. Motivated by this, we herein report our research in the synthesis of self-supported porous 2D AuCu triangular nanoprisms via a facile wet-chemical method. Owing to the attractive 2D triangular structure, bifunctional and electronic effects between Au and Cu, such unique Au₁Cu₁ nanoprisms exhibited extremely high catalytic activities towards ethylene glycol and glycerol electrooxidation with mass activities of 2873 and 2263 mA mg_Au⁻¹, which are 3.0 and 3.9-fold enhancements over those of pure Au (958 and 573 mA mg_Au⁻¹), respectively. We trust this strategy may be extended to the syntheses of other multimetallic nanocatalysts with such fascinating nanostructures and the as-obtained porous triangular nanoprisms can be well applied to serve as highly desirable anode catalysts for electrooxidation of ethylene glycol and glycerol.