Stellated Ag-Pt bimetallic nanoparticles: an effective platform for catalytic activity tuning

The usefulness of Pt-based nanomaterials for catalysis can be greatly enhanced by coupling morphology engineering to the strategic presence of a second or even third metal. Here we demonstrate the design and preparation of stellated Ag-Pt bimetallic nanoparticles where significant activity difference between the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) and the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) may be realized by relegating Ag to the core or by hollowing out the core. In particular the stellated Pt surface, with an abundance of steps, edges, corner atoms, and {111} facets, is highly effective for the ORR but is ineffective for MOR. MOR activity is only observed in the presence of a Ag core through electronic coupling to the stellated Pt shell. The bimetallic Ag-Pt stellates therefore demonstrate the feasibility of tuning a Pt surface for two very different structure sensitive catalytic reactions. Stellated bimetallics may therefore be an effective platform for highly tunable catalyst designs.