Room-temperature synthesis with inert bubble templates to produce “clean” PdCoP alloy nanoparticle networks for enhanced hydrazine electro-oxidation

Abstract

PdCoP alloy nanoparticle networks (ANN) were prepared by simultaneous reduction of PdCl₂, CoCl₂ and NaH₂PO₂ with NaBH₄ using N₂ bubbles as soft-templates at room temperature. The PdCoP ANN porous structure was formed at the inert gas bubble surface, and could be obtained with varying ratios of precursors to produce catalysts with different compositions and catalytic activity. PdCoP ANN produced markedly higher hydrazine oxidation activity than PdCo ANN and PdCoP grain aggregates, and catalytic activity varied with different ratios of Pd, Co and P. We conclude that PdCoP ANN are promising hydrazine oxidation catalysts and that the developed method provides a facile and convenient mean of producing mesoporous catalysts with high-surface area.