Co-reduction assisted fabrication of PdCuTe nanowires for enhanced glycerol electrooxidation

High-performance electrocatalysts for glycerol oxidation are highly craved for the direct glycerol fuel cells. Herein, trinary PdCuTe nanowires with well-defined nanostructure was prepared through a co-reduction assisted approach with Te nanowires as the starting template. The addition of ascorbic acid is the key for introduction of Cu into the PdTeCu nanowires during synthesis. Electrochemical results revealed that the incorporation of Cu could enhance the performance for glycerol electrooxidation, which rendering the as-fabricated PdCuTe nanowires afford the highest current density of 61.1 mA cm−2. Owe to the improved electrooxidation kinetics and reduced charge transfer resistance, the resultant PdCuTe nanowires also demonstrated a better long-term stability. The synthetic strategy proposed herein is useful for the preparation of other materials, and the developed catalysts herein may also find wide applications in electrochemical-related fields.