One-Pot Synthesis of Bicontinuous Palladium Nanocubes with Distinct Catalytic Properties for Various Electrocatalysis and Heterogeneous Catalysis

Abstract

Bicontinuous metal structures possess unique physical and chemical properties, such as efficient mass transport capability and abundant low-coordinated surface atoms, that make them highly desirable catalysts for various important chemical reactions. Here, we report a one-pot synthesis approach to fabricate bicontinuous Pd nanocubes without a sacrificial template or a dealloying process. The prepared bicontinuous Pd nanocubes have a porous structure consisting of continuous nanosized ligaments, which can enable high atom utilization efficiency and offer abundant low-coordinated surface atoms. Due to their unique structural characteristics, the bicontinuous Pd nanocubes demonstrated significantly enhanced catalytic performances in various electrocatalytic and catalytic reactions compared to nonporous Pd nanocubes and a commercial Pd/C catalyst. By analyzing the enhancement in catalytic activity depending on the molecular size of reactants, we found that the utilization of the surface of the pores in the bicontinuous Pd nanocubes is critical to exploit their structural advantages in catalysis.