3D Porous PtAg Nanotubes for Ethanol Electro-Oxidation

A 3-dimensional (3D) porous PtAg tubular catalyst for ethanol electro-oxidation was fabricated through a two-step alloying-dealloying approach, which was composed of the controlled alloying Pt to Ag nanowire templates and the selectively dealloying Ag from AgPt nanowires. The as-synthesized PtAg porous nanotubes (PNTs) contain ~85% Pt and ~15% Ag, with a diameter of ~80 nm, lengths between 5 to 10 μm, and a continuous porous network with pore/ligament size of 2–3 nm. The interconnected porous shell structure allows free transport of electrons and medium molecules, which results in superior performance for ethanol electro-oxidation.