Surfactant-Mediated Synthesis of Pd₃Pb₁ Nanocatalysts toward Ethanol Electrooxidation

The efficient electrooxidation of alcohols at fuel cell anodes remains fundamentally constrained by sluggish kinetics and catalyst instability, driving the pursuit of structurally tunable Pd-based nanocatalysts. Nevertheless, exerting precise structural control over nanomaterials to achieve efficient alcohol (e.g., methanol, ethanol) electrooxidation in fuel cells remains a significant challenge. Herein, we report a facile one-pot wet-chemical synthesis of Pd3Pb1 nanoparticles (NPs), employing a systematic surfactant modulation strategy to probe the dual influence of alkyl chain length (C12 and C16) and halide ions (Br– and Cl–) on the morphological and dimensional control of Pd3Pb1 NPs. Building upon well-defined structural modifications, we further interrogate the electrocatalytic ramifications of these size-tuned nanocatalysts for the ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) in alkaline media and establish explicit structure–activity relationships.