Fabrication of Large-Area Platinum-Coated Silicon Nanowire Arrays and Its Application to Enhanced Electrocatalytic Activity for Methanol Oxidation

An effective route was developed for the fabrication of the platinum-coated silicon nanowire arrays (Pt/SiNWAs). By judiciously combining the seed-growth method and the electroless deposition technique, high-quality three-dimensional (3D) Pt nanostructure was created on the surface of large-area SiNWAs. Owing to their unique 3D structure, the as-prepared Pt/SiNWAs exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activity towards methanol oxidation in comparison with the Si wafer-supported Pt nanoparticle film and could be used as a promising nanoelectrocatalyst.