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Abstract
The controllable synthesis of noble metal alloy nanostructures with highly branched
morphology has attracted much attention because of their specific physical and chemical
properties. This article reports the synthesis of platinum-copper bimetallic alloy
nanodendrites (Pt-Cu BANDs) by a facile, one-pot, templateless, and seedless hydrothermal
method in the presence of poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) and formaldehyde (HCHO).
The morphology, composition, and structure of Pt-Cu BANDs are fully characterized
by various physical techniques, demonstrating Pt-Cu BANDs are highly alloying, porous,
and self-supported nanostructures. The formation/growth mechanism of Pt-Cu BANDs is
explored and discussed based on the experimental observations. The autocatalytic growth
and interdiffusion are responsible for the formation of Pt-Cu alloy whereas selective
oxidative etching results in dendritic morphology of Pt-Cu alloy nanostructures. In
addition, the electrocatalytic activity and stability of Pt-Cu BANDs for the methanol
oxidation reaction (MOR) are investigated by various electrochemical techniques. The
synthesized Pt-Cu BANDs show higher electrocatalytic activity and stability than commercially
available Pt black.