Enhanced Oxygen Reduction and Methanol Oxidation Electrocatalysis over Bifunctional PtPdIr Mesoporous Hollow Nanospheres

Abstract

Abstract Designing and constructing nano‐architectures with abundant reactive atoms exposed on the surface and widely open pore interiors is an effective strategy for highly efficient utilization of Pt‐based catalysts. Herein, we report a facile method to synthesize tri‐metallic PtPdIr mesoporous hollow nanospheres (PtPdIr MHNSs) by selective chemical removal of sacrificial metallic cores from pre‐constructed Pd@PtIr mesoporous nanospheres (Pd@PtIr MNSs). The unique nano‐architectures, with mesoporous shells interconnected into the interior hollow cavities and the synergistic electronic effect from tri‐metallic PtPdIr composition, enable the as‐synthesized PtPdIr MHNSs to be efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts for catalyzing both methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR).