Palladium nanoparticles supported on graphene sheets incorporating boron oxides (BxOy) for enhanced formic acid oxidation

•Pd nanoparticles supported on holey graphene sheets incorporating boron oxides (Pd/BG) are prepared.•Pd/BG catalysts show enhanced electrocatalytic activity and stability.•Surface analyses reveal interactions between Pd nanoparticles and modified graphene sheets.•Smaller Pd particles and electron transfer contribute to improved electrocatalytic performance.

In the present study, Pd nanoparticles supported on either holey graphene sheets incorporating boron oxides (Pd/BG) or unmodified holey graphene sheets (Pd/G) are prepared through a heat treatment and impregnation method. The synthesized Pd/BG and Pd/G are characterized by Raman, XRD, TEM, XPS and tested as electrocatalysts for formic acid electrooxidation. Pd/G shows sluggish activity towards HCOOH oxidation while Pd/BG shows obviously enhanced catalytic activity and stability. We propose that the smaller Pd particle size and electron transfer caused by incorporation of boron oxides BxOy in the graphene sheets contributes to the improved electrocatalytic performance.

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