Porous Palladium Nanoflowers that Have Enhanced Methanol Electro-Oxidation Activity

Abstract

A liquid phase approach was used for the synthesis of novel porous Pd nanoflowers by the self-organization of primary nanoparticle building blocks. Palladium acetylacetonate was used as the metal precursor with 1,2-hexadecanediol as the reduction agent. The porous Pd nanostructure obtained has an average size of 50 nm and was composed of three-dimensionally connected Pd nanoparticles with an average diameter of 5.5 nm. The new Pd nanostructure has higher electrocatalytic activity and better stability for the electro-oxidation of methanol in an alkaline media than Pd nanoparticles.