Monodisperse Au-Pd bimetallic alloyed nanoparticles supported on reduced graphene oxide with enhanced electrocatalytic activity towards oxygen reduction reaction

•Monodisperse Au-Pd nanoparticles supported on RGOs are prepared by a facile one-pot solvothermal method.•The nanocomposites show larger electrochemical active surface area (32.81 m2 g−1) than that of Pd black catalyst (10.61 m2 g−1).•The nanocomposites display improved electrocatalytic activity and enhanced methanol tolerance towards ORR in alkaline media.

In this work, a simple and facile strategy was developed for preparation of well-defined Au-Pd bimetallic alloyed nanoparticles uniformly supported on reduced graphene oxide nanosheets (RGOs) under solvothermal conditions. The detailed morphology, crystal structure, and composition were well characterized by (high-resolution) transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X–ray diffraction (XRD), and X–ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The as-prepared nanocomposites displayed the enhanced catalytic ability, better stability, and good methanol tolerance towards oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in alkaline media, compared with commercial Pd black and RGOs (reduced by NaBH4) catalysts. The as-developed method could be applied for synthesis of other morphology-controlled bimetallic electrocatalysts.

Graphical abstractA simple one-pot solvothermal method was developed for preparation of monodisperse Au-Pd bimetallic alloyed nanoparticles supported on reduced graphene oxide nanosheets. The as-prepared nanocomposites display the enhanced electrocatalytic performances, improved stability, and good methanol tolerance towards ORR in alkaline media.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide