A General Strategy to Synthesize Ultrathin Palladium/Transition Metal Alloy Nanowires: Anti-Poisoned Electrocatalytic Performance for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction in Acidic and Alkaline Media

Cost-effective, active, and durable electrocatalyst is an integral requirement for a practical fuel cell. To achieve multifunctional electrocatalytic properties in one catalyst is always preferred. Inspired by the distinctive properties and outstanding catalytic performance of one-dimensional (1D) nanowires for electrocatalytic reactions, a one-pot, one-step noble metal-induced reduction method is reported to synthesize ultrathin diameter palladium-based multimetallic PdBiM (M = Mo, Mn, Co, Cu) alloy nanowires with excellent electrocatalytic performance in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The synthesized alloy nanowires showed ORR and remarkable tolerance against the small molecular poisoning species (i.e., SOx, NOx, POx, CO, etc.) in acidic and alkaline media. This work implicates a new direction for the controlled synthesis of multifunctional 1D alloy nanowires that may provide new openings for enhancing catalytic activities and tolerance against the poisoning species in the practical fuel cells.