Tuning the Structure of Pd@Ni-Co Nanowires and Their Electrochemical Properties

One-dimensional transition metal materials are promising supports for precious metals used in energy production processes. Due to their electrochemical properties, 3d-group metals (such as Ni, Co, and Fe) can actively interact with catalysts by a strong metal-support interaction. This study shows that changing the Ni:Co ratio makes it possible to modulate the structure of the catalyst supports, which, in turn, provides a tool for designing their electrical and electrochemical properties. For example, Ni-1-Co-9 shows the highest electrical conductivity (5.8-10(-4) S/cm) among all of the materials examined. On the contrary, the Pd@Ni-7-Co-3 system presents the highest mass activity (>2000 mA mg(-1)) at 0.7 V, exceeding by several times that of commercial Pt/C (>300 mA mg(-1)) at the same potential. Our study opens the gateway for applications of bimetallic transition metal nanowires in catalytic conversion and energy production processes.