Electrodeposition based on cyclic voltammograms of hierarchical Pt nanowire arrays: enhanced electrocatalytic activity for methanol oxidation

Hierarchical Pt nanowire arrays are electrodeposited by using cyclic voltammetry on the basis of CdS hierarchical nano-arrays assembled from CdS nanoparticles. The Pt nanowire arrays are found to exhibit a significantly higher electrocatalytic activity, which is attributable to the unique hierarchical structure of Pt nanowires with significantly higher electrochemically active surface areas. The results demonstrate potential of hierarchical Pt nanowire arrays as effective electrocatalysts in direct methanol fuel cells. Importantly, using CdS hierarchical structures as the template, this synthetic strategy, unlike the conventional electrochemical deposition method, allows for the facile preparation of hierarchical Pt nanowire arrays, and is expected to be widely applicable for the deposition of others hierarchical metals and multicomponent alloy arrays.