Significantly enhancing catalytic activity of tetrahexahedral Pt nanocrystals by Bi adatom decoration.

Tetrahexahedral Pt nanocrystals (THH Pt NCs) bounded by high-index facets possess a high density of active sites and display therefore a higher catalytic activity in comparison with those enclosed by low-index facets. In the current communication, we report, for the first time, the decoration of THH Pt NC surfaces by using Bi adatoms and have demonstrated that the catalytic activity of the Bi decorated THH Pt NCs toward HCOOH electrooxidation has been drastically enhanced in comparison with bare THH Pt NCs. It has also been revealed that the catalytic activity of Bi decorated THH Pt NCs for all coverages investigated always exhibits a higher catalytic activity that is about double that of Bi decorated Pt nanospheres. The study is of great importance regarding both fundamentals and applications.