Synthesis of dendritic PdAu nanoparticles with enhanced electrocatalytic activity

A facile method for the rapid synthesis of dendritic PdAu alloyed bimetallic nanocrystals is demonstrated. The whole synthetic process is very simple just by mixing Na2PdCl4, HAuCl4, polyvinylpyrrolidone and hydroquinone and heated at 50 °C for 15 min. The as-prepared dendritic PdAu nanoparticles exhibit superior catalytic activity for methanol, ethanol and glycerol electrooxidation in alkaline solution, and their catalytic performance is composition-dependent.