Universal synthesis of surface-wrinkled Pd-based nanowires boosts ethylene glycol and ethanol oxidation electrocatalysis

Abstract

Precisely tuning the morphology of palladium-based alloys is an effective strategy for enhancing their catalytic activity in alcohol electrooxidation. However, methods for synthesizing well-defined nanowires are often not universally applicable and tend to be relatively complex. In this study, we developed a universal method to synthesize PdM nanowires (M = Sn, Pb, Sb, and Bi) using a straightforward one-pot solvothermal co-reduction technique. The electronic properties of palladium can be modified through the doping of other elements. The bimetallic synergistic effect endows PdSn nanowires (PdSn NWs) with exceptional catalytic activity in both the ethylene glycol oxidation reaction (EGOR) and the ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR). Specifically, the mass activity of PdSn nanowires in the EGOR was measured to be 7.56 A mg_Pd⁻¹, which is 3.86 times that of commercial Pd/C. In the EOR, the mass activity reached 6.43 A mg_Pd⁻¹, demonstrating an 8.14 fold enhancement over commercial Pd/C. Furthermore, PdSn nanowires also exhibited excellent stability during stability tests. This study provides significant insights into the development of nanowire catalysts with highly efficient alcohol electro-oxidation performance.