Bimetallic AuPd nanoclusters supported on graphitic carbon nitride: One-pot synthesis and enhanced electrocatalysis for oxygen reduction and hydrogen evolution

• Bimetallic AuPd nanoclusters are well distributed on graphitic carbon nitride sheets.
• The one-pot aqueous method is simple and rapid, without any specific additives involved.
• The nanocomposites display enlarged electrochemically active surface area.
• The nanocomposites show enhanced electrocatalytic performances for ORR and HER.

Herein, we developed a facile one-pot aqueous method to fabricate well-distributed bimetallic AuPd nanoclusters supported on graphitic carbon nitride (AuPd NCs/g-C3N4). The method is simple, rapid, without using any specific additives. The nanocomposites displayed enlarged electrochemically active surface area. The obtained nanocatalyst exhibited the more positive onset and half-wave potentials at 1.09 and 0.98 V (vs. NHE) for oxygen reduction reaction, respectively, along with the enhanced kinetic current density of 1.86 mA cm−2. Meanwhile, the catalyst showed the improved catalytic activity for hydrogen evolution reaction with the onset potential of −29 mV (vs. NHE) and small Tafel slope of 47 mV dec−1. These results demonstrated the improved electrocatalytic performance of the catalyst in contrast with commercial Pt/C (50%) and Pd/C (20%) catalysts.

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