Ethylene Glycol Electrooxidation Based on Pentangle-Like PtCu Nanocatalysts

The research of active and stable electrocatalysts toward liquid-fuel oxidation reaction is of great significance for the large-scale commercialization of fuel cells. Although extensive efforts have been devoted to pursuing high-performance nanocatalysts for fuel cells, both the high cost and sluggish reaction kinetics have been two major drawbacks that limited its commercial development. In this regard, we demonstrated a facile solvothermal method for the syntheses of an advanced class of PtCu nanocatalysts with a unique pentangle-like shape. By combining the merits of a highly active surface area as well as the synergistic and electronic effects, the as-prepared pentangle-like Pt₃ Cu nanocatalysts showed superior electrocatalytic activity towards ethylene glycol oxidation with a mass and specific activities of 5162.6 mA mg^-1 and 9.7 mA cm^-2 , approximately 5.0 and 5.1 times higher than the commercial Pt/C, respectively. More significantly, the Pt₃ Cu pentangle also showed excellent long-term stability with less activity decay and negligible changes in structure after 500 cycles, indicating another class of anode catalysts for fuel cells and beyond.