An easy and cheap chemical route using a MOF precursor to prepare Pd–Cu electrocatalyst for efficient energy conversion cathodes

• Easy and cheap chemical route to prepare nano-alloyed PdCu/C from (Cu-MOF) precursor.
• Cu atoms influence the morphology and structural defects on Pd–Cu nanomaterials.
• ORR enhancement activity was obtained by the addition of Cu to Pd.

Carbon supported bimetallic palladium–copper nanoparticles (PdCu/C) were prepared using a copper metal–organic framework (MOF) as sacrificial precursor. The effect of MOF was investigated by comparing the PdCu/C synthesized from a simple metal chloride precursor (CuCl2). The PdCu/C nanoparticles are nanorod-like particles in both cases. Based on the analysis from Warren planar defect and size-strain isotropic models, in the MOF-derived PdCu/C sample, the crystallite size, stacking-fault and micro-strain parameters increase, whereas lattice parameter decreases, with reference to both the CuCl2-derived PdCu/C and Pd/C nanoparticles. This assesses a solid solution in the MOF-derived PdCu/C sample, while the alloying is less evident in the CuCl2-derived sample, as supported by inductively coupled plasma and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy data. A better oxygen reduction reaction activity obtained on MOF-derived PdCu/C, as compared to other homemade and commercial samples, is correlated to Pd surface modification induced by alloying, further proved by CO-stripping voltammograms.

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