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Synthesis and electrocatalytic activity of Au@Pd core-shell nanothorns for the oxygen reduction reaction

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Abstract

Bimetallic core-shell nanostructures with porous surfaces have drawn considerable attention due to their promising applications in various fields, including catalysis and electronics. In this work, Au@Pd core-shell nanothorns (CSNTs) with rough and porous surfaces were synthesized for the first time through a facile co-chemical reduction method in the presence of polyallylamine hydrochloride (PAH) and ethylene glycol (EG) at room temperature. The size, morphology, and composition of Au@Pd CSNTs were investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDX), EDX mapping, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The electrochemical properties of as-synthesized Au@Pd CSNTs were also studied by various electrochemical techniques. Au@Pd CSNTs exhibited remarkably high electrocatalytic activity and durability for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in the alkaline media, owing to the unique porous structure and the synergistic effect between the Au core and Pd shell.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an, 710062, China

    Yu Chen

  2. Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Power Batteries, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Centre of Biomedical Functional Materials, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, China

    Gengtao Fu, Zhenyuan Liu, Jun Lin, Yawen Tang & Tianhong Lu

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  1. Gengtao Fu
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  2. Zhenyuan Liu
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  3. Yu Chen
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  5. Yawen Tang
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  6. Tianhong Lu
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Correspondence to Yu Chen or Yawen Tang.

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Fu, G., Liu, Z., Chen, Y. et al. Synthesis and electrocatalytic activity of Au@Pd core-shell nanothorns for the oxygen reduction reaction. Nano Res. 7, 1205–1214 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-014-0483-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-014-0483-2

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