Aqueous Synthesis of AuPt Nanorods Decorated with MnO Nanosheets for the Enhanced Electrocatalytic Oxidation of Methanol.

Developing novel catalysts with high activity and high stability for the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) is of great importance for the ever-broader applications of methanol fuel cells. Herein, we present a facile technique for synthesizing AuPt@MnO catalysts using a wet chemical method and investigate their catalytic performance for the MOR. Notably, the AuPt@MnO-M composite demonstrated a significantly high peak mass activity of 15.52 A mg(Pt), which is 35.3, 57.5, and 21.9 times greater than those of the Pt/C (0.44 A mg(Pt)), Pd/C (0.27 A mg(Pt)), and AuPt (0.71 A mg(Pt)) catalysts, respectively. Comparative analysis with commercial Pt/C and Pd/C catalysts, as well as AuPt HSNRs, revealed that the AuPt@MnO-M composite exhibited the lowest initial potential, the highest peak current density, and superior CO anti-poisoning capability. The results demonstrate that the introduction of MnO nanosheets, with excellent oxidation capability, not only significantly increases the reactive sites, but also promotes the reaction kinetics of the catalyst. Furthermore, the high surface area of the MnO nanosheets facilitates charge transfer and induces modifications in the electronic structure of the composite. This research provides a straightforward and effective strategy for the design of efficient electrocatalytic nanostructures for MOR applications.