Preparation of AuPt alloy foam films and their superior electrocatalytic activity for the oxidation of formic acid.

AuPt alloy films with three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical pores consisting of interconnected dendrite walls were successfully fabricated by a strategy of cathodic codeposition utilizing the hydrogen bubble dynamic template. The foam films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Due to the special porous structure, the electronic property, and the assembly effect, the AuPt alloy foam films show superior electrocatalytic activity toward the electrooxidation of formic acid in acidic solution, and the prepared 3D porous AuPt alloy films also show high activity and long stability for the electrocatalytic oxidation of methanol, where synergistic effect plays an important role in addition to the electronic effect and assembly effect. These findings provide more insights into the AuPt bimetallic nanomaterials for electrocatalytic applications.