N-methylimidazole-assisted electrodeposition of Au porous textile-like sheet arrays and its application to electrocatalysis

•Au porous textile-like sheet arrays (AuPTSAs) were prepared by one-step electrodeposition.•N-methylimidazole play an important role in formation of AuPTSAs.•This approach is simple and facile, without any seeds, templates, or surfactants.•The AuPTSAs show high electrocatalytic activity toward methanol oxidation in alkaline media.

Au porous textile-like sheet arrays (AuPTSAs) have been facilely prepared on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) by one-step electrodeposition, which are performed at -0.4 V for 600 s in the electrolysis solution containing 10 mM HAuCl4, 1.25 M N-methylimdazole and 0.5 M H2SO4. N-methylimdazole plays an important role in the formation of the gold nanostructures. This approach is simple and facile, whereas no additional issues such as seeds, templates, and surfactants are required. Thus prepared AuPTSAs are perpendicular to the electrode surface and growing in the (1 1 1) directions and their growth mechanism is discussed in some detail. The AuPTSAs show enhanced electrocatalytic activity with better stability toward methanol oxidation in alkaline media, compared with those of polycrystalline Au nanoparticles.

Graphical abstractAu porous textile-like sheet arrays (AuPTSAs) were facilely prepared by one-step electrodeposition with the assistance of N-methylimidazole. This approach is simple and facile, whereas no additional issues such as seeds, templates, or surfactants are involved. The AuPTSAs show enhanced electrocatalytic activity and good stability toward methanol oxidation in alkaline media, compared with those of Au dendrites and nanoparticles.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide