Direct growth of highly catalytic palladium nanoplates array onto gold substrate by a template-free electrochemical route

A novel palladium nanoplates array (Pd NPA) directly grown on gold substrate by a facile electrochemical approach is developed without any template. Different from general electrodeposition utilizing constant potential or current, cyclic potential scan is used, which corresponds to cyclic deposition/dissolution of Pd on substrate. The formation mechanism is proposed for the evolution of I'd NPA which resulted from the selective growth of Pd nanocrystals under the regulation of potential and surfactant. The Pd NPA electrode shows extraordinary electro-catalytic activity towards the oxidation of methanol. This approach provides a facile route for the synthesis of highly catalytic Pd NPA with an excellent electrical contact to a substrate, which is important for the overall device performance. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.