J. Phys. Chem. C, 112 (7), 2389 -2393, 2008. 10.1021/jp0772629 S1932-7447(07)07262-7
Web Release Date: January 29, 2008

Copyright © 2008 American Chemical Society

Gold/Platinum Hybrid Nanoparticles Supported on Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube/Silica Coaxial Nanocables: Preparation and Application as Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Reduction

Shaojun Guo, Shaojun Dong,* and Erkang Wang

State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, Jilin, China, and Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100039, People's Republic of China

Received: September 10, 2007

In Final Form: November 23, 2007

Abstract:

A simple approach combining sonication and sol-gel chemistry was employed to synthesize silica coated carbon nanotube (CNTs) coaxial nanocables. It was found that a homogeneous silica layer can be coated on the surface of the CNTs. This method is simple, rapid, and reproducible. Furthermore, gold nanoparticle supported coaxial nanocables were facilely obtained using amino-functionalized silica as the interlinker. Furthermore, to reduce the cost of Pt in fuel cells, designing a Pt shell on the surface of a noble metal such as gold or silver is necessary. High-density gold/platinum hybrid nanoparticles were located on the surface of 1-D coaxial nanocables with high surface-to-volume ratios. It was found that this hybrid nanomaterial exhibits a high electrocatalytic activity for enhancing oxygen reduction (low overpotential associated with the oxygen reduction reaction and almost four-electron electroreduction of dioxygen to water).


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