Ultrathin curved PdNiRu nanosheets as bifunctional catalysts for oxygen reduction and ethylene glycol oxidation

Pd-based metallic nanosheets with advanced physicochemical properties have been widely prepared and employed in various electrocatalytic reactions. However, few concerns were focused on their multiple performances in different electrocatalysis. Here, highly curved and ultrathin PdNiRu nanosheets (NSs) are developed by facile wet-chemistry strategy and exhibit excellent electrocatalytic performance toward both oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and ethylene glycol oxidation reaction (EGOR). Owing to the synergistically structural (e.g., ultrathin, curved, defects/steps-rich) and compositional (ternary alloy) advantages, PdNiRu NSs exhibited enhanced ORR and EGOR specific/mass activities and better stability/durability than control electrocatalysts. The specific activity (5.52 mA·cm−2) and mass activity (1.13 A·mgPd−1) of the PdNiRu NSs in ORR are 4.8 and 3.4 times as the ones of commercial Pt/C, respectively. The mass activity of PdNiRu NSs (3.86 A·mgPd−1) in EGOR is 2.6 times as commercial Pd/C (1.51 A·mgPd−1). This study is helpful for the development of desired electrocatalysts with multi-functional application in practical fuel cells.