Dendritic platinum–copper bimetallic nanoassemblies with tunable composition and structure: Arginine-driven self-assembly and enhanced electrocatalytic activity

Novel self-assembled architectures have received a growing amount of attention and have significant potential for application in catalysis/electrocatalysis. Herein, we take advantage of the unique coordination and self-assembly properties of arginine for the preparation of dendritic PtCu bimetallic nanoassemblies with tunable chemical composition and structure. Strong interactions between the arginine molecules are key in driving the self-assembly of primary nanocrystals. In addition, the strong coordination interactions between arginine and metal ions is responsible for the formation of Pt–Cu alloys. We also investigated the electrocatalytic activity of various dendritic PtCu bimetallic nanoassemblies towards the methanol oxidation reaction. Pt₃Cu₁ nanoassemblies exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activity and stability in comparison with other PtCu bimetallic nanoassemblies (Pt₁Cu₃, Pt₁Cu₁) and commercial Pt black, due to their unique dendritic structures and the synergistic effect between the Pt and Cu atoms.