Ternary dendritic nanowires as highly active and stable multifunctional electrocatalysts

Multimetallic nanocatalysts with a controlled structure can provide enhanced catalytic activity and durability by exploiting electronic, geometric, and strain effects. Herein, we report the synthesis of a novel ternary nanocatalyst based on Mo doped PtNi dendritic nanowires (Mo-PtNi DNW) and its bifunctional application in the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) at the anode and the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) at the cathode for direct methanol fuel cells. An unprecedented Mo-PtNi DNW structure can combine multiple structural attributes of the 1D nanowire morphology and dendritic surfaces. In the MOR, Mo-PtNi DNW exhibits superior activity to Pt/C and Mo doped Pt dendritic nanowires (Mo-Pt DNW), and excellent durability. Furthermore, Mo-PtNi DNW demonstrates excellent activity and durability for the ORR. This work highlights the important role of compositional and structural control in nanocatalysts for boosting catalytic performances.