Preparation of Mesoporous Bimetallic Au-Pt with a Phase-Segregated Heterostructure Using Mesoporous Silica

Mesoporous bimetallic Au-Pt with a phase-segregated heterostructure has been prepared by using mesoporous silica SBA-15 as a template. Au nanoparticles were prepared as a seed metal within the mesopores, and subsequently Pt was deposited, sandwiching the Au seeds. Energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectral mapping showed that the framework of mesoporous bimetallic Au-Pt, prepared by removing the silica template with HF, was composed of Au nanoparticles joined with Pt nanowires. The Au/Pt ratio of the mesoporous bimetallic Au-Pt could be varied by controlling the number of Au deposition cycles. Pre-adsorbed CO (CO_ad) stripping voltammetry of the mesoporous bimetallic Au-Pt showed that the surfaces of the joined bimetallic structure were electrochemically active. This could be attributed to the open framework structure having a high ratio of exposed bimetallic mesopore surfaces. The described preparative approach, involving a mesoporous silica template and stepwise deposition within the mesopores, enables control of the nanostructure of the bimetallic material, which is greatly promising for the further development of synthetic methodologies for bimetallic structures.