Macroporous carbon decorated with dendritic platinum nanoparticles: one-step synthesis and electrocatalytic properties

Abstract

Macroporous carbon (MPC) with high pore accessibility and electrical conductivity is of great interest to the electrochemical platform. The development of a simple and efficient route for the direct synthesis of dendritic platinum nanoparticle (DPN) decorated MPC (DPN/MPC) is an interesting challenge, which is highly valuable for electrocatalytic applications. In this study, we propose a very simple route for the one-step synthesis of DPN/MPC in aqueous solution at room temperature without the need for any kind of seed and surfactant to direct the dendritic growth of Pt nanoparticles, which is performed by simply mixing an aqueous solution of K₂PtCl₄ with MPC and formic acid. The as-prepared DPN/MPC shows high electrocatalytic activities toward the oxidation of methanol and glucose.