The trimetallic AuAgPt nanowires for light-enhanced formic acid electrolysis

Abstract

The electrochemical activity and stability of multimetallic nanomaterials can be improved by adjusting the structure, morphology, and composition. Herein, trimetallic AuAgPt nanowires (AuAgPt-NWs) are achieved by the galvanic replacement reaction (GRR). The corrugated one-dimensional structure of AuAgPt-NWs increases catalytically active sites and improves chemical stability. Meanwhile, the special localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) response of Au nanomaterials further enhances their electrocatalytic activity under light irradiation conditions. For the formic acid oxidation reaction, Au_6.4Ag_2.6Pt_1.0-NWs exhibit a high mass activity (3081.25 mA mg_pt⁻¹), which is 24.4 times higher than that of commercial Pt nanoparticles (126.38 mA mg_pt⁻¹). Au_6.4Ag_2.6Pt_1.0-NWs also show enhanced electrocatalytic activity relative to commercial Pt nanoparticles for the hydrogen evolution reaction at 10 mA cm⁻². Under light conditions, the electrolysis system of Au_6.4Ag_2.6Pt_1.0-NWs only needs a voltage of 0.33 V to achieve H₂ production, which originates from the excellent bifunctional electrocatalytic performance of Au_6.4Ag_2.6Pt_1.0-NWs and the photothermal effect caused by LSPR.