Dumbbell-like Pt−Fe3O4 Nanoparticles and Their Enhanced Catalysis for Oxygen Reduction Reaction

• Published in: Nano letters Vol. 9; no. 4; pp. 1493 - 1496
• Main Authors: Wang, Chao, Daimon, Hideo, Sun, Shouheng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 01.04.2009
• Subjects: Catalytic methods; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Exact sciences and technology; Materials science; Methods of nanofabrication; Nanocrystalline materials; Nanoscale materials and structures: fabrication and characterization; Physics; Epitaxial layers; Iron oxide; Catalysts; Epitaxy; Iron; Nanoparticles; Magnetite; Growth mechanism; Oxidation; Catalysis; Catalyst activity; Nanostructured materials; Nanomaterial synthesis
• ISSN: 1530-6984; 1530-6992
• DOI: 10.1021/nl8034724

Monodisperse dumbbell-like Pt−Fe3O4 nanoparticles are synthesized by epitaxial growth of Fe onto Pt nanoparticles followed by Fe oxidation. The nanoparticle size in the structure is tunable from 2 to 8 nm for Pt and 6 to 20 nm for Fe3O4. Pt nanoparticles in the Pt−Fe3O4 structure show a 20-fold increase in mass activity toward oxygen reduction reaction compared with the single component Pt nanoparticles and the commercial 3 nm Pt particles. The work proves that it is possible to maximize catalytic activity of the Pt nanoparticle catalyst through the control not only of Pt size and shape but also of its interaction with Fe3O4 nanoparticles.