An Overview of One-Dimensional Metal Nanostructures for Electrocatalysis

Nanostructures of metals are of great importance in the area of catalysis due to their distinct physicochemical properties compared to their bulk counterparts. Size and morphology dependent properties of metal nanostructures provide a rational approach toward designing a highly efficient catalytic materials. In particular, one-dimensional (1D) metallic nanostructures in the shapes of wires, rods and tubes have recently been studied with great interest due to their potential uses as electrocatalysts for oxidations of fuels and reduction of oxidants in fuel cell applications. Compared to the conventional nanoparticle catalysts that are generally supported on carbon, these 1D materials can offer significant opportunities to improve catalytic performance under fuel cell reaction conditions by their structural characteristics such as preferential exposure of reactive crystal facets, high stability, and facile electron transport. Great advances in the synthesis of electrocatalysts based on the metallic nanowires and nanotubes have been made with enhanced electrocatalytic activity and durability. This review summarizes the research progress made on synthesizing 1D metal electrocatalysts using different synthetic strategies, including template-assisted method, electrospinning, and template-free wet-chemical synthesis, with an emphasis on the electrocatalytic performance of these 1D nanomaterials.