(188f) Additive-Mediated Electrochemical Synthesis of Anisotropic Copper Crystals for Methanol Oxidation

Anisotropic metallic micro- and nanocrystals synthesis and characterization, either in suspension or localized on a surface is an area of immense interest due to its potential use in many applications ranging from catalysis, microelectronics, biosensors and solar cells. In this work, a simple and versatile electrochemical approach to synthesize anisotropic copper crystals in presence of shape directing additives has been proposed. SEM, TEM and XRD characterization confirm the anisotropic morphology and crystal structure of synthesized copper particles. Br- ions in the additive adsorbs preferentially to selective crystal faces on copper particles thereby altering the relative crystal growth kinetics leading to anisotropic morphology. Electro-oxidation of methanol is chosen as a model experiment to characterize the superior electro-catalytic properties of anisotropic copper crystals. Our future work will be focused on investigating the feasibility of using such non-noble metal micro- and nanostructures as a suitable alternative for anode interface in direct methanol fuel cell applications.