Segmented Au/PtCo heterojunction nanowires for efficient formic acid oxidation catalysis

Exploring a new strategy for the removal of adsorbed CO (CO*) on a N surface at a low potential is the key to achieving enhanced catalysis for the formic acid oxidation reaction (FAOR); however, the development of such a strategy remains a significant challenge. Herein, we report a class of Au/PtCo heterojunction nanowires (HNWs) as efficient electrocatalysts for accelerating the FAOR. This heterojunction structure and the induced Co alloying effects can facilitate formic acid adsorption/activation on N with high CO tolerance, generating the FAOR pathway from dehydration to dehydrogenation. The optimized Au-23/Pt(63)Co(14 )HNWs showed the highest specific and mass activities of 11.7 mA cm(Pt)(-2) N and 6.42 A mg(Pt)(-1) reported to date, respectively, which are considerably higher than those of commercial Pt/C. DFT calculations confirmed that the electron-rich Au segment enhances the electronic activity of the PtCo NWs, which not only allows the construction of a highly efficient electron transfer channel for the FAOR but also suppresses CO formation.