Ultrafine PtRu Dilute Alloy Nanodendrites for Enhanced Electrocatalytic Methanol Oxidation.

Dilute alloy nanostructures have been demonstrated to possess distinct catalytic properties. Noble-metal-induced reduction is one effective synthesis strategy to construct dilute alloys and modify the catalytic performance of the host metal. Herein, we report the synthesis of ultrafine PtRu dilute alloy nanodendrites (PtRu NDs, molar ratio Ru/Pt is 1:199) by the reduction of Ru ions induced by Pt metal. For the methanol oxidation reaction, PtRu NDs showed the highest forward peak current density (2.66 mA cm , 1.14 A/mg ) and the best stability compared to those of pure-Pt nanodendrites (pure-Pt NDs), commercial PtRu/C and commercial Pt/C catalysts.