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arXiv · 2010.05556

Laser Assisted Solution Synthesis of High Performance Graphene Supported Electrocatalysts

Yudong Peng·Jianyun Cao·Jie Yang·Wenji Yang·Chao Zhang·Xiaohong Li·Robert A. W. Dryfe·Lin Li·Ian A. Kinloch·Zhu Liu
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Abstract

Simple, yet versatile, methods to functionalize graphene flakes with metal (oxide) nanoparticles are in demand, particularly for the development of advanced catalysts. Herein, based on light-induced electrochemistry, a laser-assisted, continuous, solution route for the simultaneous reduction and modification of graphene oxide with catalytic nanoparticles is reported. Electrochemical graphene oxide (EGO) is used as starting material and electron-hole pair source due to its low degree of oxidation, which imparts structural integrity and an ability to withstand photodegradation. Simply illuminating a solution stream containing EGO and metal salt (e.g., H2PtCl6 or RuCl3) with a 248 nm wavelength laser produces reduced EGO (rEGO, oxygen content 4.0 at%) flakes, decorated with Pt (~2.0 nm) or RuO2 (~2.8 nm) nanoparticles. The RuO2-rEGO flakes exhibit superior catalytic activity for the oxygen evolution reaction, requiring a small overpotential of 225 mV to reach a current density of 10 mA cm-2. The Pt-rEGO flakes (10.2 wt% of Pt) show enhanced mass activity for the hydrogen evolution reaction, and similar performance for oxygen reduction reaction compared to a commercial 20 wt% Pt/C catalyst. This simple production method is also used to deposit PtPd alloy and MnOx nanoparticles on rEGO, demonstrating its versatility in synthesizing functional nanoparticle-modified graphene materials.

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Yudong Peng, Jianyun Cao, Jie Yang, Wenji Yang, Chao Zhang, Xiaohong Li, Robert A. W. Dryfe, Lin Li, Ian A. Kinloch, Zhu Liu. 2020-10-12. Laser Assisted Solution Synthesis of High Performance Graphene Supported Electrocatalysts. https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202001756

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