Study on preparation of Au-Cu core shell electrocatalysts

• 1、School of Metallurgical and Ecological Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083
• 2、Beijing Key Laboratory of Green Catalysis and Separation, College of Environmental and Energy Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124

Abstract：In order to solve the high cost of fuel cell catalysts, the research of non-Platinum catalysts with special structures had attracted considerable attention. In this study, Cu nanowires were synthesized through hydrothermal reaction. The growth of Au shell on nanowires which could be achieved through liquid phase reducing method finally construct the core shell structure electrocatalysts of Au-Cu. The as-synthesized catalysts were characterized in depth using field-emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). According to the result, the average diameter of Cu nanowires and Au-Cu nanowires were about 72 nm and 90 nm, respectively. Particles which make up the shell of core shell structure were identified as Gold nanoparticles. Coverage rate of Au nanoparticles reach highest when the precursor\'s ratio of Cu and Au was 1:4, then inject more Au precursor would lead to increase of Au nanoparticles\' diameter; It would be better to limit the reaction temperature under 298 K, otherwise CuO layer may be formed at the surface of Cu NWs. These results are expected to provide references for synthesizing similar catalysts with core shell structure.

Keywords： Fuel cell Catalysts Copper nanowires Core shell structure