Facile Self‐Assembly Synthesis of PdPt Bimetallic Nanotubes with Good Performance for Ethanol Oxidation in an Alkaline Medium

PdPt bimetallic nanotubes were prepared by the self-assembly of Pt and Pd on Te nanowires at room temperature. The morphologies of the as-prepared PdPt nanotubes were investigated by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, and the results display a large amount of PdPt bimetallic nanotubes with a diameter of 10-20 nm and a length of several micrometers. The composition and structure of the nanotubes were characterized by X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, scanning transmission electron microscopy, and energy spectrum analysis, and the results display uniform compositional distributions of both elements (Pd and Pt). The mechanism of the formation of the nanotube structure was supposed. The electrocatalytic performance of PdPt nanotubes were studied by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. Electrochemical results show that the as-prepared PdPt nanotube catalysts have not only high activity but also good stability for ethanol oxidation in alkaline medium.