Carbon Monoxide-Assisted Synthesis of Ultrathin PtCu3 Alloy Wavy Nanowires and Their Enhanced Electrocatalysis.

Glucose sensing that is not influenced by the presence of chloride, uric acid, ascorbic acid and dopamine is achieved on ultrathin PtCu3 alloy wavy nanowires (WNWs). These WNWs are synthesized by a facile, one-pot, templateless hydrothermal method in an atmosphere of CO, which is critical to the formation process. Their structural properties, including the abundance of twinning defects, make the as-prepared PtCu3 WNWs excellent electrocatalysts for methanol oxidation as well as great sensors for glucose.