Surfactant-Mediated Synthesis of Pd₃Pb₁ Nanocatalysts toward Ethanol Electrooxidation

The efficient electrooxidation of alcohols at fuel cell anodes remains fundamentally constrained by sluggish kinetics and catalyst instability, driving the pursuit of structurally tunable Pd-based nanocatalysts. Nevertheless, exerting precise structural control over nanomaterials to achieve efficient alcohol (e.g., methanol, ethanol) electrooxidation in fuel cells remains a significant challenge. Herein, we report a facile one-pot wet-chemical synthesis of Pd 3 Pb 1 nanoparticles (NPs), employing a systematic surfactant modulation strategy to probe the dual influence of alkyl chain length (C 12 and C 16 ) and halide ions (Br – and Cl – ) on the morphological and dimensional control of Pd 3 Pb 1 NPs. Building upon well-defined structural modifications, we further interrogate the electrocatalytic ramifications of these size-tuned nanocatalysts for the ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) in alkaline media and establish explicit structure–activity relationships.