A direct one-step synthetic route to Pd–Pt nanostructures with controllable shape, size, and composition for electrocatalytic applications

Pd–Pt branched nanocrystals have been known to exhibit a synergistic effect in many electrocatalytic reactions such as reduction of oxygen and oxidation of small organic molecules. However, Pd–Pt branched structures have generally been synthesized using a two-step seed-mediated approach, which is unbeneficial for large-scale synthesis. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a one-step route to Pd–Pt branched structures. Herein, we developed a direct one-step synthetic route to obtain Pd–Pt structures with controllable shape, size, and composition. In this system, KBr plays a critical role in controlling the size and shape of the Pd–Pt NCs. The resulting Pd1Pt5 branched nanocrystals showed 3.4 and 6.2 times higher mass activity toward oxygen reaction and formic acid oxidation than commercial Pt/C, respectively.