Bimetallic PtPd alloyed core-shell nanodendrites supported on reduced graphene oxide: One-pot green synthesis and efficient electrocatalytic performances for glycerol oxidation and hydrogen evolution

Highlights: • Pt₇₇Pd₂₃ ACSNDs/rGO was fabricated by a simple, seedless, eco-friendly, one-pot co-reduction approach. • CS was firstly used as the green stabilizer and structure-directing agent. • The obtained nanocomposite had the enlarged ECSA. • The prepared nanocatalyst displayed superior catalytic performances for GOR and HER. Herein, reduced graphene oxide supported PtPd alloyed core-shell nanodendrites (Pt₇₇Pd₂₃ ACSNDs/rGO) were fabricated by a one-pot aqueous method with the biosynthesized polypeptide (colistin sulfate, CS) as the eco-friendly stabilizer and structure-director. The associated morphology, composition and structure were mainly investigated by a set of characterization techniques, and the synthesis mechanism was discussed in details. When compared with home-made Pt₅₉Pd₄₁ nanoparticles (NPs)/rGO, Pt₈₉Pd₁₁ NPs/rGO, Pt NPs/rGO, commercial Pt/C and Pd/C catalysts, the prepared nanocomposite exhibited comparable and/or even superior catalytic characters for glycerol oxidation reaction (GOR) with the higher mass activity (MA, 1533.49 mA mg⁻¹_metal) and specific activity (SA, 2.74 mA cm⁻²_metal), and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) with the lower onset potential (E_onset, −34 mV), smaller overpotential (57 mV) at 10 mA cm⁻² and Tafel slope (36 mV dec⁻¹).