Shape-dependence in seeded-growth of Pd-Cu solid solution from Pd nanostructure towards methanol oxidation electrocatalyst

Ultrathin Pd nanosheets(NSs)have great advantages in catalysis due to their large specific surface area and high percentage of under-coordinated atoms.However,the electrochemical performance still can be improved via composition-controllable growth of their solid solution.Herein,seeded alloying strategy was proposed to synthesize Pd-Cu solid solution from Pd NSs and Pd-Cu nanostructures with tunable molar ratios obtained by changing the amount of Cu precursor.As compared to the pristine Pd NSs,the Pd-Cu solid solution shows significantly enhanced methanol oxidation reaction(MOR)performance over those of Pd NSs and homemade Pd/C as the incorporation of Cu weakens the adsorption of CO intermediate on Pd in the MOR process.The choice of template is pivotal to the growth,as a shape-dependent behavior could be identified in the alloying of Cu with Pd nanosheets enclosed by{111}and{100}facets,Pd nanocubes enclosed by{100}facet,and Pd nano-tetrahedrons enclosed by{111}facet.The Pd-Cu solid solution with tunable composition can only be obtained from Pd NSs and the shape-dependent alloying process is mainly determined by the diffusion barrier and the minimum diffusion depth of the different facets.