Synthesis of ultra-thin Cu/Ag bimetallic nanosheets assisted by polyvinylpyrrolidone as template

Abstract

Bimetallic nanomaterials have rich electronic structures due to unique interfacial effects and synergistic effects. In this study, the polyhedron Cu nanoparticles were synthesized by the solvothermal method using polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as a template. Then Ag precursor was added to obtain ultra-thin Cu/Ag bimetallic nanosheets at room temperature. SEM and TEM results showed that the as-prepared Cu/Ag samples changed from polyhedron to nanosheet structure with increased Ag content. When Cu: Ag = 1:1, the specific surface area of the sample reached 17.318 m 2/ g. 8.76 times the specific surface area of pure Cu. At the same time, electrochemical testing showed that the prepared bimetallic nanosheets had high onset voltage and half-peak voltage in alkaline media. Therefore, this work provides a new method for preparing ultra-thin bimetallic nanosheets, expanding their applications in fields such as electrocatalysis, sensors, optical detection, biomedicine, and fuel cells.