Facile preparation of three-dimensional porous Pd–Au films and their electrocatalytic activity for methanol oxidation

• Porous PdAu foam catalysts are successfully fabricated using hydrogen bubble dynamic template.
• The catalysts have 3D hierarchical pores and numerous interconnected dendrite walls.
• Pd and Au uniformly distribute in the porous catalysts and form an alloy structure.
• The porous PdAu catalysts show higher catalytic performance and stability for methanol oxidation than pure porous Pd.

Pd–Au porous foam films with three-dimensional hierarchical pores consisting of interconnected dendrite walls are obtained by using the hydrogen bubble dynamic template. The films are characterized by scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, as well as electrochemical techniques. The CV curves have confirmed that the Pd–Au catalysts have high catalytic activity toward methanol oxidation. The catalytic activities of these Pd–Au catalysts are strongly dependent on the atomic ratio of Pd/Au. Among all the Pd–Au catalysts, the Pd1Au1 catalyst is found to possess superior catalytic activity and stability toward methanol oxidation.