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One-nanometer-thick platinum-based nanowires with controllable surface structures

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Abstract

Pt-based ultrathin nanowires (NWs) are considered as one of the most intriguing catalysts for fuel cells. However, the delicate controllability of surface structure of ultrathin NWs to regulate their catalytic performances is still a challenge. Here, two kinds of one-nanometer-thick Pt-based NWs with smooth surfaces (S-NWs) and rough surfaces (R-NWs) are demonstrated, in which the combined use of hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide and oleylamine plays an essential role, as they could form soft-templates to direct the growth of NWs. Due to its high-density of low-coordinated sites on the surface, Pt-based R-NWs exhibit higher oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activities but lower stabilities than corresponding S-NWs. Notably, Pt0.78Ni0.22 R-NWs possess the highest mass activity (1.07 A·mgPt−1) and specific activity (1.02 mA·cm−2) among all Pt-based NWs. After 10,000 sweeping cycles, the mass activity still exhibits 5.7-fold enhancement compared to the corresponding commercial Pt/C. This work presents a new approach to delicately control the surface structure of ultrathin Pt-based NWs as advanced ORR catalysts.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) (No. 51772142), Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Committee (Nos. KQJSCX20170328155428476 and KQTD2016053019134356), Development and Reform Commission of Shenzhen Municipality (Novel Nanomaterial Discipline Construction Plan), and the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (No. 2018M641633).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), Shenzhen, 518055, China

    Xiaokun Fan, Shuiping Luo, Xixia Zhao, Xiaotong Wu, Zhishan Luo, Min Tang, Wen Chen, Xing Song & Zewei Quan

  2. School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University, Shenzhen, 518055, China

    Xiaokun Fan & Xiaotong Wu

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  1. Xiaokun Fan
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  2. Shuiping Luo
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  3. Xixia Zhao
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  4. Xiaotong Wu
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  5. Zhishan Luo
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  6. Min Tang
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Correspondence to Zewei Quan.

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Fan, X., Luo, S., Zhao, X. et al. One-nanometer-thick platinum-based nanowires with controllable surface structures. Nano Res. 12, 1721–1726 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-019-2428-2

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