Synthesis and structural characterization of Pt−Au−Cu ternary core-shell nanowires

Platinum-based catalysts have been widely used in fuel cells due to their excellent activity in oxygen reduction reactions. At the same time, using Pt in large quantities is costly. To solve the high cost of fuel cell catalysts, research into low-Pt-content and highly efficient catalysts with special structures has attracted considerable attention. However, conditions required for synthesis of these catalysts are highly restrictive and the synthetic methods are energy-intensive and harmful to the environment. In this study, Cu nanowires (NWs) were synthesized hydrothermally at 80 ℃. Growth of the Au shell on the Cu NWs, achieved through a liquid phase reduction method, was carried out in aqueous solution at low temperature. Finally, Pt layers were deposited on the surface of the Au−Cu NWs by Galvanic displacement between the uncovered copper NWs and chloroplatinic acid. Subsequently, Pt−Au−Cu ternary core-shell catalysts were constructed. The as-synthesized catalysts were characterized in depth using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The growth mechanism of the Pt−Au−Cu NWs was also explored. Results show that the phase composition of the synthetic NWs is monolithic Cu with an average diameter of about 83 nm; average diameter of the Au−Cu NWs is about 90 nm, and the small particles attached to the surface are Au. After Pt loading, the Pt−Au−Cu ternary core shell structure of the NWs is obtained with an average diameter of 120 nm. It is confirmed that the formation of the surface Au nanoparticles on the Cu NWs depends on the heterogeneous nucleation and growth mechanism, and that the growth mode conforms to the Stranski-Krastanow (S-K) mode. Pt and Cu interdiffusion exists during Pt loading, so that the surface of the NW is mostly Pt particles and the whole is a CuPt alloy phase. This study demonstrates a new strategy in synthesis of ternary core-shell NWs.