PtPdAg nanotrees with low Pt content for high CO tolerance within formic acid and methanol electrooxidation

To efficiently diminish the Pt consumption while concurrently enhancing the anodic reaction kinetics, a straightforward synthesis for PtPdAg nanotrees (NTs) with exceedingly low Pt content is presented, utilizing the galvanic replacement reaction between the initially prepared PdAg NTs and Pt ions. Due to the multilevel porous tree-like structure and the incorporation of low amounts of Pt, the electrocatalytic activity and stability of PtPdAg NTs are markedly enhanced, achieving 1.65 and 1.69 A·mg⁻¹_Pt + Pd for the anodic reactions of formic acid oxidation (FAOR) and methanol oxidation (MOR) within DLFCs, surpassing the performance of PdAg NTs, as well as that of commercial Pt and Pd black. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that the addition of low amounts of Pt leads to an increase in the d-band center of PtPdAg NTs and lower the CO_ads adsorption energy to −1.23 eV, enhancing the anti-CO toxicity properties optimally. This approach offers an effective means for designing low Pt catalysts as exceptional anodic electrocatalysts for direct liquid fuel cells.