Ultrathin Dendritic Pd-Ag Nanoplates for Efficient and Durable Electrocatalytic Reduction of CO to Formate.

CO reduction reactions (CO RR) powered by renewable electricity can directly convert CO to hydrocarbons and fix the sustainable but intermittent energy (e. g., sunlight, wind, etc.) in stable and portable chemical fuels. Advanced catalysts boosting CO RR with high activity, selectivity, and durability at low overpotentials are of great importance but still elusive. Here, we report that the ultrathin Pd-Ag dendritic nanoplates (PdAg DNPs) exhibited boosted activity, selectivity, and stability for producing formate from CO at a very low overpotential in aqueous solutions under ambient conditions. As a result, the PdAg DNPs exhibited a Faradaic efficiency (FE) for formate of 91% and a cathodic energy efficiency (EE) of ∼90% at the potential of -0.2 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (vs. RHE), showing significantly enhanced durability as compared with pure Pd catalysts. Our strategy represents a rational catalyst design by engineering the surface geometrical and electronic structures of metal nanocrystals and may find more applicability in future electrocatalysis.