Rapid synthesis of porous Pt-Ni-Cu coatings with a wide composition range, tunable structures and enhanced electrocatalytic properties

Abstract Multicomponent Pt-based catalysts with tunable compositions and nanostructures have attracted great interest owing to their promises of better catalytic performances and lower cost. In this work, we report the formation of porous Pt-Ni-Cu coatings with a wide range of compositions, tunable structures and improved electrocatalytic performances. The spongy Pt-Ni-Cu coatings were prepared by dynamic hydrogen bubble templated electrodeposition in highly diluted solutions. The chemical compositions and structures of the deposits exhibited a strong dependence on the concentrations of PtCl42−, Cu2+ and Ni2+ ions in plating solutions. The as-prepared Pt-Ni-Cu foams, which had a honeycomb network structure composed by metallic nanodendrites, displayed both high catalytic activity and good stability towards the electrooxidation of methanol in alkaline media. The simplicity of the method and the outstanding catalytic performances of the spongy alloys suggested applications in preparing multicomponent platinum-derivated nanocatalysts in one step.