Work

Truncated Octahedral PtCu Alloy Nanoparticles for Efficient Methanol Electrooxidation

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: ABSTRACT The pursuit of high‐performance platinum‐based electrocatalysts for the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) drives the development of nanostructures with precise architectural control. This work demonstrates a morphology‐controlled synthesis of platinum–copper nano‐truncated octahedra (PtCu NTOs). Comprehensive structural characterization by TEM, HRTEM, and EDX–STEM confirms the uniform octahedral morphology and alloy formation. When evaluated for the MOR in alkaline media, the optimized PtCu NTOs exhibit a 4.8‐fold and 2.3‐fold enhancement in specific activity (13.02 vs. 2.71 mA cm −2 ) and mass activity (1750.67 vs. 746.33 mA mg −1 ), respectively, compared to a commercial Pt/C benchmark. Density functional theory (DFT) simulations is performed to reveal that Cu‐alloyed Pt surfaces lower the activation barrier for the rate‐determining C–H bond cleavage in methanol oxidation, with the enhanced activity correlated to an upshift in the surface Pt d‐band center. Our findings provide a feasible strategy for engineering faceted, alloyed Pt‐based nano‐architectures, guiding the rational design of advanced electrocatalysts.

Source: MetalMat

DOI: 10.1002/metm.70038

Authors: Mengfei Liu, Haoran Chen, Jiahao Zheng, Yingying Wang, Yanyun Ma, Yiqun Zheng

Institutions: Jining University, Shandong Vocational College of Light Industry, Soochow University

Language: English

Topic: Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion

Subfield: Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment

Field: Energy

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Affordable and clean energy

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,100