Preparation of two-dimensional NiO/graphene composite and superior catalytic activity in benzene hydrogenation

•Highly dispersed NiO/graphene hybrid materials are synthesized by using reduced graphene oxide as template.•The interaction between NiO and RGO affords the steady nanosheet structure.•The unique two-dimensional hierarchical structure offers the larger active surface.

Highly dispersed NiO/graphene composite material with the size of about 3–4 nm nanoparticles (NPs) and the high specific surface area of 244.2 m2 g−1 is synthesized by using reduced graphene oxide (RGO) as template. The unique two-dimensional structure of graphene plays a crucial role for keeping the Ni species with a nanosheet structure during the solvothermal process. The prepared NiO/graphene composite exhibits superior catalytic activity in benzene hydrogenation. The enhanced catalytic performance can be attributed to steadily dispersed NiO NPs and the strong interactions between NiO NPs and RGO.

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