Amorphization-Facilitated Synthesis of Pt ₂ Bi ₂ /Pt Heterojunction Nanorods for Highly Efficient Methanol Electrooxidation

To address the low atomic efficiency and CO poisoning susceptibility of Pt-based nanomaterials in methanol oxidation reactions (MOR), we develop a facile template-directed approach to heterogeneous Pt₂Bi₂/Pt nanorods (Pt₂Bi₂/Pt NRs) utilizing Bi₂S₃ NRs as a template. The formation of Pt₂Bi₂/Pt NRs is assisted by surface amorphization of Bi₂S₃ NRs, facilitating the subsequent Pt deposition and alloying process. Notably, Pt₂Bi₂/Pt NRs display a mass activity of 5.13 A mgPt⁻¹ for MOR, which is over five times higher than that of commercial Pt/C (0.98 A mgPt⁻¹), as well as greatly enhanced stability. In situ infrared spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations indicate that the electronic structure of Pt₂Bi₂/Pt NRs could modify the adsorption/desorption of reaction intermediates and facilitate MOR via a CO-free pathway, circumventing the typical CO poisoning observed in conventional Pt-based electrocatalysts. This study provides a synthetic route for rationally designing heterostructured electrocatalysts with superior performance.