Three-dimensional reduced graphene oxide architecture embedded palladium nanoparticles as highly active catalyst for the Suzuki–Miyaura coupling reaction

•3D architecture of graphene embedded palladium nanoparticles has been prepared.•The obtained composites are three-dimensional, porous, light-weight.•The size of the Pd nanoparticles is 5–9 nm.•The nanocomposite showed highly catalytic activity for Suzuki–Miyaura coupling reaction.•The method can be used to prepare other metal nanoparticles-rGO 3D composites.

3D architecture of graphene embedded palladium nanoparticles has been prepared by a simple two-steps method. At first, Pd nanoparticles was anchored and growth over graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets in aqueous solution using different reducing agents. Then, the as-prepared Pd/GO nanosheets were reduced by Vitamin C, and the hydrogel of Pd/reduced GO (rGO) was formed via a reduction-inducing self-assembly. The obtained 3D Pd/rGO architecture was studied by means of XRD, XPS, TGA, AFM, BET, and elemental analysis, and it revealed that the obtained composites are three-dimensional, porous, light-weight with a homogeneous dispersion of Pd nanoparticles in size of 5–9 nm. The as-prepared 3D Pd/rGO nanocomposite showed highly catalytic activity for Suzuki–Miyaura coupling reaction.

Graphical abstractThe formation of 3D Pd/rGO hydrogel for Suzuki–Miyaura coupling reaction.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide