Synthesis of PtRu alloy nanofireworks as effective catalysts toward glycerol electro-oxidation in alkaline media.

Abstract Electro-oxidation of glycerol is a key anodic reaction in direct alcohol fuel cell (DAFCs). Exploring the cost-effective nanocatalysts for glycerol oxidation reaction (GOR) is very important for the development of DAFC, but it is still challenging. In this paper, nanofirework-like PtRu alloy catalyst was successfully synthesized and used for GOR in alkaline medium. Thanks to the unique nanofirework-like structure and synergetic effects, the activity and stability of the as-prepared PtRu alloy nanofireworks (NFs) toward GOR were significantly improved relative to Pt NFs. In particular, the peak current density of GOR catalyzed by the optimized Pt1Ru3 NFs catalyst reached 2412.0 mA mg−1, surpassing that of commercial Pt/C catalyst. This work has important guidance for the design of advanced anode electrocatalysts for fuel cells.