Palladium nanostructures from multi-component metallic glass

Dendritic palladium nanostructures are obtained from Ni ₆₀Pd ₂₀P ₁₇B ₃ metallic glass by cyclic voltammetry in sulfuric acid. The length-scale and growth kinetics of the dendrites are dictated by the self-assembling template formed during electro-dissolution of the alloy constituents, but can alternatively be manipulated using the metallic glass in the form of a suitable nano-pattern template. The morphology evolution, surface chemistry, and electro-catalytic behavior of the dendrites are discussed. These branched palladium-rich dendrites show high activity for carbon monoxide and methanol oxidation in an alkaline medium, suggesting their potential use as high-performance catalysts in direct alcohol fuel cells.