Gold-platinum bimetallic nanowires on graphene oxide nanosheets for oxygen reduction reaction

Abstract

In this paper, gold-platinum nanowires (AuPt NWs) were successfully loaded on graphene oxide (GO) to obtain graphene oxide-funded platinum bimetallic nanowire (GO/AuPt NWs) composites, which were used as catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The morphology, crystal structure and elemental composition of GO/AuPt NWs were investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Cyclic voltammetry (CV), linear scanning voltammetry (LSV) and chronoamperometry (I-T) were used to evaluate the electrochemical activity and stability of ORR in alkaline media. The prepared GO/AuPt NWs exhibit high electrocatalytic activity and a major four-electron pathway to the ORR. Moreover, it also exhibit superior stability and methanol resistance compared to commercial Pt-C (10 wt%) catalysts, making them a promising nanoelectrocatalyst for fuel cells and other electrochemical devices. This simple, straightforward and versatile approach is important for the preparation of well-formed high-performance metal nanocatalysts on support materials.