Mesoporous Rh nanotubes for efficient electro-oxidation of methanol

Abstract

Mesoporous noble metal-based nanoarchitectures with large cavities and accessible active surfaces have been demonstrated as effective catalysts in electrocatalysis fields, but mesoporous rhodium nanotubes have hardly been reported due to the difficulty in regulating the discrepancy between the reduction rate and micelle assembly rate. Herein, we present a simple dual-template strategy for in situ fabrication of one-dimensional rhodium mesoporous nanotubes (Rh MNTs), in which the obtained Ni nanowires and diblock copolymer micelles facilitate the evolution of tubular interiors and mesoporous exteriors, respectively. The well-developed hollow mesoporous structure can not only provide sufficient active centers and facilitated channels, but can also prevent catalyst aggregation. Therefore, the generated Rh MNTs exhibit excellent activity, favorable kinetics and high durability for the methanol oxidation reaction, which are superior to those of traditional commercial Pt black. This work sheds light on the fabrication of one-dimensional metallic mesoporous nanotube structures for extensive electrocatalytic applications.