Novel Te/Pt Hybrid Nanowire with Nanoporous Surface: A Catalytically Active Nanoelectrocatalyst

We have developed a facile procedure to synthesize semiconductor/metal Te/Pt hybrid nanowire (NW) with nanoporous surface through the Te/Pt contact without prior Te NWs functionalization, which represents a new type of semiconductor/metal heterostructure. Specifically, the growth of Pt nanoparticles (NPs) on the surface of Te NWs could be performed at room temperature, without the need for templates and surfactants. The resulting Te/Pt hybrid NWs were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-visible spectra, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and electrochemical techniques. It is found that ultrahigh density small Pt NPs of about 3 nm directly adhere to Te NWs and further form a morphology with nanoporous structures, which exhibit an enlarged electroactive surface area relative to that of commercial platinum black (CPB) catalyst. Most importantly, the as-prepared Te/Pt hybrid NWs exhibit high electrocatalytic activity toward the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR), indicating that they have potential for fuel-cell applications.