Highly controlled synthesis of symmetrically branched tripod and pentapod nanocrystals with enhanced photocatalytic performance

Anisotropic nanostructures with tunable optical properties induced by controllable size and symmetry have attracted much attention in many applications. Herein, we report a controlled synthesis of symmetrically branched AuCu alloyed nanocrystals. By varying Au:Cu atom ratio in precursor, Y-shaped tripods with three-fold symmetry and star-shaped pentapods with five-fold symmetry are synthesized, respectively. The growth mechanism of AuCu tripods from icosahedral seeds and AuCu pentapods from decahedral seeds is revealed. Aiming to excellent photocatalytic performance, CdS nanocrystals are controlled grown onto the sharp tips of AuCu tripods and pentapods. In addition, a carrier-selective blocking layer of Ag₂S is introduced between AuCu and CdS, for achieving effective charge separation in AuCu-Ag₂S-CdS nanohybrids. Through evaluating the photocatalytic performance by hydrogen generation experiments, the AuCu-Ag₂S-CdS tripod nanocrystals exhibit an optimized hydrogen evolution rate of 2182 μmol·g^-1·h^-1. These findings will contribute greatly to the understanding of complex nanoparticle growth mechanism and provide a strategy for the design of anisotropic nanoalloys for widely photocatalytic applications.