EDTA-2Na promotes the formation of linear cross-linked PtCu to enhance the performance of the methanol oxidation reaction

Abstract

In this work, a linear cross-linked PtCu network (PtCu-LCN) electrocatalyst was successfully synthesized through a simple EDTA-2Na-assisted one-step co-reduction method. The formation of this special structure is attributed to the chelation of EDTA-2Na, rather than the adsorption of a surfactant which is difficult to remove from the Pt surface. The linear cross-linked network structure, with abundant lattice corners and steps, exposes a large specific surface area and provides more efficient active sites for methanol adsorption. Meanwhile, the addition of the second metal Cu promotes the removal of CO-like intermediates on the Pt surface via a synergistic effect. Therefore, the PtCu-LCN exhibits excellent activity and stability for the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) in an acidic medium.