▎ 摘　　要

The electrocatalysts with superior activity and stability for ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) are of critical importance for the development of direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs). Herein, an effective multistep wetchemical method has been developed to controllably synthesize hollow echinus-like shaped Pd-based trimetallic nanospheres (Au@PdAgNSs) and corresponding reduced graphene oxide supported Au@PdAgNSs nanocomposite (Au@PdAgNSs/rGO). The results of various physical characterizations indicate that the as-prepared Au@PdAgNSs is a porous and hollow echinus-shaped core-shell structure with gold as the core and PdAg alloy as the shell. Through the CA and CV measurements the resultant Au@PdAgNSs/rGO demonstrated excellent electrocatalytic activity and stability towards ethanol oxidation in an alkaline medium as compared to a commercial Pd/C catalyst, making it very attractive for application in alkaline DEFCs. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.