Photochemical Synthesis of Au@Pd Core-Shell Nanoparticles for Methanol Oxidation Reaction: the Promotional Effect of the Au Core

A novel method for synthesizing Au@Pd core-shell nanoparticles was proposed based on photochemistry. By irradiating the mixture of Au (III) and Pd (II) ions using ultraviolet light, the Au@Pd core-shell nanoparticles were prepared. The size of the nanoparticles and the thickness of the Pd shell could be efficiently adjusted by changing the molar ratio of Au (III) to Pd (II) ion. In this way, nanoparticles with diameter in the range of 5.6-4.6 nm were obtained. The core-shell structure of the synthesized nanoparticles was showed by the characterization using UV-Vis, TEM/HR-TEM and XPS. The paper investigated the electrocatalysis performance of Au@Pd nanoparticles in the methanol catalytic oxidation reaction, as well as the electron donating effect of Au core to Pd shell and the promotion of this effect on the catalytic activity of Pd shell. The experimental results provided reference for the development of non-platinum catalysts of low-temperature fuel cell anode.