Self-supported PdCu alloy nanowires fabricated by a facile one-pot method have been reported, which copper assists in the morphological transformation from graininess to nanowires. The copper incorporated with palladium to form alloy structures cannot only cut down the usage of noble metal but also enhance their catalytic performances. The catalysts with self-supported structure and proper ratio of palladium to copper show great activity and long-term stability for the electrooxidation of ethylene glycol in alkaline solution. Especially for Pd43Cu57, its mass activity reaches to 5570.83 mA mg(-1), which is 3.12 times as high as commercial Pd/C. This study highlights an accessible strategy to prepare self-supported PdCu alloy nanowires and their potential applications in renewable energy fields. (c) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.