LAUSR

Abstract We report a one-step approach to synthesize octahedral PtPd alloy/reduced graphene oxide (o-PtPd/rGO) nanocomposites through plasma reduction. The morphology of the PtPd nanoparticles can be tuned by controlling the plasma treatment time and the ratio of the Pt and Pd precursors. The optimized o-PtPd/rGO nanocomposites show enhanced catalytic activity for the methanol oxidation reaction. Their electrochemically active surface area (ECSA) (253.96 cm2 mg−1) and mass-specific activity (1072.0 mA mg−1) are 2.9 times and 4.6 times higher than those for commercial Pt/C, respectively. The long-term stability and CO tolerance ability have also been largely improved. This method opens a new route towards the preparation of graphene-supported bimetallic electrocatalysts for the practical application of fuel cells.