Colloidal Synthesis of Au@Pd Core–Shell Nanorods with Tunable Dimensions and Enhanced Electrocatalytic Activities

Pd-based bimetallic nanoparticles have attracted much attention due to their promising applications in diverse fields. For example, in electro-oxidation of alcohol, the synergistic effects between different metals can significantly improve the resistance of Pd to sintering, coke deposition and CO poisoning. Although great progress has been achieved in the synthesis of Pd-based nanostructures, it is still lacking a robust protocol to synthesize Pd bimetallic nanostructures with desired shapes and dimensions. In this work, Au@Pd core–shell nanorods with tunable size of both core and shell were synthesized using a one-pot method. Both the dimensions of Pd shell and Au core can be tuned separately by altering reaction conditions. Compared with Pd cube and octahedron, Au@Pd core–shell nanorods exhibit superior activity in the electrochemical oxidation of ethanol due to the synergistic effects between Au core and Pd shell. This work not only develops a facile one-pot protocol for synthesizing Au@Pd core–shell nanostructures, but also sheds some light on the design and preparation of catalysts with enhanced electrocatalytic performance.