Structurally Ordered Pt3Sn Nanofibers with Highlighted Anti-Poisoning Property as Efficient Ethanol Oxidation Electrocatalysts

The design of electrocatalysts with high activity and enhanced durability for ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) is critical for commercializing the direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs). Herein, a distinct class of one-dimensional (1D) ultrathin Pt3Sn nanofibers (NFs) with controllable aspect ratios and intermetallic structure were designed as highly efficient EOR electrocatalysts. The optimized structurally ordered Pt3Sn NFs with the largest aspect ratio (Pt3Sn NFs-L) show the highest activity and long-term stability compared with the commercial Pt/C and other counterparts. Apart from the intrinsic structure advantages, the incorporated Sn on Pt3Sn NFs-L can effectively alleviate the binding strength of reaction intermediates and further promote the intermediates electrooxidation by providing abundant oxophilic species, largely contributing to the enhanced EOR activity and stability. Detailed investigations indicate that the Pt3Sn NFs-L possesses strong capacity for C-C bond cleavage in ethanol, leading to th...