Arginine-assisted synthesis and catalytic properties of single-crystalline palladium tetrapods.

Noble metallic nanocrystals (NMNCs) with highly branched morphologies are an exciting new class of nanomaterials because of their great potential application in catalysis, sensing, optics, and electronics originating from their unique structures. Herein, we report a facile water-based method to synthesize high-quality palladium (Pd) tetrapods with the assistance of arginine molecule, which is more economical and environmentally friendly than the previous reported carbon monoxide (CO)-assisted synthesis in the organic system. During the synthesis, arginine molecule plays an essential role in controlling the tetrapod-like morphology. The as-synthesized Pd tetrapods have a potential application in the formic acid (HCOOH)-induced reduction of highly toxic hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) owing to their improved catalytic performance for the HCOOH decomposition.