Fabrication,characterization of polyaniline intercalated NiO nanocomposites and application in the development of non-enzymatic glucose biosensor

Determination of glucose plays very important part in diagnostics and management of diabetes. Nowadays, determination of glucose is necessary in human health. In order to develop the glucose biosensor, polymer modified catalytic composites were fabricated and used to detect glucose molecules. In this work, NiO nanostructure metal oxide (NMO) was fabricated via thermal decomposition method and polyaniline (wt% = 2, 4 and 6) assisted nanocomposites (NiO/PANI) were also prepared. The morphology and structure of synthesized nanocomposites were characterized by UV–visible diffusion reflectance spectroscopy (UV–vis-DRS), Fourier transform- infra red spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and N₂ adsorption-desorption isotherm measurement. The modified NiO/6%PANI/GCE had higher catalytic activity toward the oxidation of glucose than NiO/GCE, PANI/GCE, NiO/2%PANI/GCE and NiO/4%PANI/GCE. This is due to the larger surface area of NiO/6%PANI nanocomposites provide a ploform for faster electron transfer to the detection of glucose. The constructed glucose biosensor have been exhibited a high sensitivity of 606.13 µA mM⁻¹ cm⁻², lowest detection limit of 0.19 µM, high selectivity, stability, simplicity and low cost for the quick detection of glucose in real sample as well.     

Synthesis,characterization and application of zinc oxide nano particles for removal of hexavalent chromium

The present study was conducted to evaluate the adsorption efficiency of synthesized nano zinc oxide (n-ZnO) for the removal of hexavalent chromium (Cr⁶⁺). The synthesized sample was characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. Batch experiment results revealed that low dose (4 g L^?1) of n-ZnO was highly efficient at the initial metal concentration of 9 mg L^?1 in acidic conditions (pH 2) at 50 °C for the contact time of 90 min. A Langmuir adsorption isotherm model was found to be best fitted indicating a homogeneous surface and the adsorption followed pseudo-second order kinetics. Intra-particle diffusion was not a rate limiting factor in the present study. Thermodynamic study revealed that the adsorption process was endothermic and spontaneous at all the studied temperatures with increasing randomness.     

Amin-functionalized magnetic-silica core-shell nanoparticles for removal of Hg2+ from aqueous solution

Magnetic nanoparticles with monodisperse shape and size were prepared by a simple method and covered by silica. The prepared core-shell Fe₃O₄@silica nanoparticles were functionalized by amino groups and characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) techniques. The synthesized nanoparticles were employed as an adsorbent for removal of Hg²⁺ from aqueous solutions, and the adsorption phenomena were studied from both equilibrium and kinetic point of views. The adsorption equilibriums were analyzed using different isotherm models and correlation coefficients were determined for each isotherm. The experimental data were fitted to the Langmuir–Freundlich isotherm better than other isotherms. The adsorption kinetics was tested for the pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order and Elovich kinetic models at different initial concentrations of the adsorbate. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model describes the kinetics of the adsorption process for amino functionalized adsorbents. The maximum adsorption occurred at pH 5.7 and the adsorption capacity for Fe₃O₄@silica-NH₂ toward Hg²⁺ was as high as 126.7 mg/g which was near four times more than unmodified silica adsorbent.     

Lithium adsorption properties of porous LiAl-layered double hydroxides synthesized using surfactants

Porous LiAl-layered double hydroxides (LiAl-LDHs) of [Li₂Al₄(OH)₁₂](CO₃)·4H₂O were hydrothermally synthesized in one-pot by mixing LiCl, AlCl₃, urea, and one surfactant each (sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), octadecyl amine (OA), and sodium lauryl sulfonate (SLS)) as soft templates. The LiAl-LDHs were granulated by crosslinked sodium alginate. The LiAl-LDHs were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and porosity. Special attention was focused on the rise of Li⁺ adsorption capacity based on the porous morphology in synthetic and real salt lake brine. The adsorption capacity of granulated LiAl-LDHs-SLS reaches 8.48 mg/g in a solution containing 300 mg/L of Li⁺ at pH = 7 and 11.8 mg/g from Da Qaidam brine with 1.0 g/L of Li⁺. Lithium adsorption followed the Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetics. Temperature, solution pH, and other electrolytes had a minor effect on the adsorption performance of porous LiAl-LDHs. The structure of surfactants had a significant influence on the porosity of synthesized LiAl-LDHs, and thus on the adsorption capacity.     

Synthesis and adsorption properties of the cation exchange forms of OFF-type zeolite

The possibility of the ion-exchange of Na⁺ and K⁺ cations contained in OFF-type zeolite for H⁺, Ni²⁺, Cu²⁺, Co²⁺, and La³⁺ cations is investigated. Chemical and phase compositions, the morphology of crystals, and the adsorption properties of synthesized samples are studied via X-ray fluorescence and X-ray diffraction analysis, IR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and adsorption measurements.     

Preparation of Fluorescent Thiol Group‐Functionalized Silica Microspheres for the Detection and Removal of Silver Ions in Aqueous Solutions

We demonstrate that silica microspheres can act as a sensitive fluorescent sensor and adsorbent of Ag⁺ in aqueous media. These thiol‐functionalized silica microspheres are doped with quantum dots (QDs) using organosilane chemistry in a one‐step preparation. Ligand exchange takes place between the thiolated organosilane and acid‐capped QDs, making the doping easy. Ag⁺ adsorption by the silica microspheres causes the decrease of fluorescence intensity of the QDs. The detection limit for Ag⁺ is found to be 10 μmol/L. The abundance of thiol groups on the surface of the microspheres could effectively remove Ag⁺ through strong interaction. When microspheres with a diameter of 1.1 μm are used as the adsorbents, the adsorption capacity for Ag⁺ reached 102 mg/g. This excellent adsorption ability is due to the abundance of thiol groups that act as the active sites, facilitating the adsorption of the massive metal ions on the surface of the microspheres. Furthermore, the adsorption isotherm data follows the Freundlich model. The structure and content of the silica microspheres were investigated by scanning and high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, and Raman analysis, and the fluorescence properties were characterized by fluorescence microscopy.     

Fabrication of PET/BiOI/SnO2 heterostructure nanocomposites for enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity

Heterojunction BiOI/SnO₂ nanocomposites have been facilely synthesized by using successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) and a hydrothermal method, and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) nanofibers (NFs) were utilized as a photocatalyst carrier to support the BiOI/SnO₂ nanocomposites. PET/BiOI/SnO₂ NFs displayed excellent photocatalytic ability towards methyl orange (MO) and tetracycline (TC) under visible light irradiation. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were employed to investigate the morphology, crystal structure and chemical state of the PET/BiOI/SnO₂ nanofibers. Photoluminescence (PL) and active species trapping experiments indicated that photoinduced charge separation promoted the formation of holes (h⁺) and superoxide radicals (•O²_-). Moreover, a photodegradation mechanism was proposed to illustrate that the formation of a Fermi level equilibrium state between semiconductors accelerated charge separation in the semiconductor. This study is meaningful for providing new inspiration to design and fabricate novel heterostructure photocatalysts with enhanced photocatalytic activity.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Nanostructured Fe3O4 Micron‐Spheres and Their Application in Removing Toxic Cr Ions from Polluted Water

We present a simple and effective method for the synthesis of nanostructured Fe₃O₄ micron‐spheres (NFMSs) by annealing hydrothermally formed FeCO₃ spheres in argon. The phase structure, particle size, and magnetic properties of the product have been characterized by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), field‐emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and by means of a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID). The results have shown that the as‐obtained NFMSs have a diameter of about 5 μm and are composed of nanometer‐sized porous lamellae. The NFMSs have a large specific surface area (135.9 m² g^?1), reductive Fe²⁺ incorporated into their structure, and intense magnetic properties. These properties suggest that NFMSs have potential application in removing toxic Cr⁶⁺ ions from polluted water. At 25 °C, each gram of NFMSs product can remove 43.48 mg of Cr⁶⁺ ions, as compared to just 10.2 mg for nanometer‐sized Fe₃O₄ and 1.89 mg for micron‐sized Fe₃O₄. The enhanced removal performance can be ascribed to the structural features. Moreover, the Cr⁶⁺ ion removal capacity of the NFMSs can reach up to 71.2 mg g^?1 at 50 °C. The influencing parameters in the removal of Cr⁶⁺ ions, such as contact time, pH, and temperature, have been evaluated. The Cr⁶⁺‐removal mechanism has been investigated. We have found that the NFMSs product not only serves as an effective adsorbent to remove toxic Cr⁶⁺ ions from polluted water, but also as an effective reductant in reducing the adsorbed toxic Cr⁶⁺ ions to much less toxic Cr³⁺ through the Fe²⁺ incorporated into its structure.     

Mesoporous hollow silicon spheres modified with manganese ion sieve: Preparation and its application for adsorption of lithium and rubidium ions

In this work, mesoporous hollow silicon spheres modified with 3‐aminopropyl‐ triethoxysilane (APTES) of loaded hydrogen manganese oxide lithium ion sieve (APTES/HMO‐ HS) was prepared. The structure and morphology of as‐prepared APTES/HMO‐HS were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and nitrogen adsorption‐desorption measurements. The Brunner‐Emmet‐Teller (BET) surface areas, pore diameters and pore volumes of APTES/HMO‐HS decreased gradually, while the Li:Mn:Si molar ratios range from 1:1:50 to 1:1:10. The obtained hierarchical porous APTES/50HMO‐HS has a high specific surface area (557.1694 m² g^‐1). The lithium and rubidium ions solutions were used to measure the adsorption performance of the APTES/HMO‐HS adsorbent. The pseudo‐first‐order and pseudo‐second‐order kinetics, Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms of APTES/HMO‐HS were investigated; suggesting that the adsorption kinetics can be described by the pseudo‐second‐order kinetic model and the adsorption isotherms well fits the Langmuir isotherm equation. The obtained results show that the prepared APTES/HMO‐HS exhibits excellent abilities to simultaneously and selectively recover Li⁺ and Rb⁺ (11.22 mg·g^‐1 and 8.31 mg·g^‐1) and have a promising application in the simultaneous adsorption of lithium and rubidium ions.     

The MOF+ Technique: A Significant Synergic Effect Enables High Performance Chromate Removal

A significant synergic effect between a metal–organic framework (MOF) and Fe₂SO₄, the so‐called MOF⁺ technique, is exploited for the first time to remove toxic chromate from aqueous solutions. The results show that relative to the pristine MOF samples (no detectable chromate removal), the MOF⁺ method enables super performance, giving a 796 Cr mg g⁻¹ adsorption capacity. The value is almost eight‐fold higher than the best value of established MOF adsorbents, and the highest value of all reported porous adsorbents for such use. The adsorption mechanism, unlike the anion‐exchange process that dominates chromate removal in all other MOF adsorbents, as unveiled by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), is due to the surface formation of Fe_0.75Cr_0.25(OH)₃ nanospheres on the MOF samples.     

Adsorption of thorium from aqueous solution by HDTMA+-pillared bentonite

The ability of hexadecyltrimethylammonium cation pillared bentonite (HDTMA⁺-bentonite) has been explored for the removal and recovery of thorium from aqueous solutions. The adsorbent was characterized using small-angle X-ray diffraction, high resolution transmission electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The influences of different experimental parameters such as solution pH, initial thorium concentration, contact time and temperature on adsorption were investigated. The HDTMA⁺-bentonite showed the highest thorium sorption capacity at initial pH of 3.5 and contact time of 60?min. Adsorption kinetics was better described by the pseudo-second-order model and adsorption process could be well defined by the Langmuir isotherm. The thermodynamic parameters, ?G° (298?K), ?H° and ?S° were determined to be ?31.78, ?23.71?kJ/mol and 27.10?J/mol?K, respectively, which demonstrated the sorption process of HDTMA⁺-bentonite towards Th(VI) was feasible, spontaneous and exothermic in nature. The adsorption on HDTMA⁺-bentonite was more favor than Na-bentonite, in addition the saturated monolayer sorption capacity increased from 17.88 to 31.20?mg/g at 298?K after HDTMA⁺ pillaring. The adsorbed HDTMA⁺-bentonite could be effectively regenerated by 0.1?mol/L HCl solution for the removal and recovery of Th(VI). Complete removal (99.9?%) of Th(VI) from 1.0?L industry wastewater containing 16.8?mg Th(VI) ions was possible with 7.0?g HDTMA⁺-bentonite.     

Synthesis and characterization of CoFe2O4@SiO2-polyethyleneimine magnetic nanoparticle and its application for ultrasonic-assisted removal of disulfine blue dye from aqueous solution

In the present work, a simple synthesis approach was applied for the fabrication of CoFe₂O₄@SiO₂-polyethyleneimine magnetic nanoparticles as an effective sorbent for ultrasonic-assisted removal of disulfine blue dye from an aqueous solution. For identification and characterization of prepared sorbent, different analysis including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), Energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were applied. The effect of effective parameters on the removal of disulfine blue such as pH, sorbent mass, ultrasonic time and disulfine blue concentration were also assessed. The optimum values for investigated parameters were achieved to be as follows: pH of 5.0, sorbent mass of 0.015 g, ultrasonic time of 5.0 min and disulfine blue concentration of 10.0 mg L⁻¹. Different isotherm and kinetic models were used for the evaluation of isotherm and kinetic of adsorption. Results showed that the Langmuir isotherm model was better than other isotherm models as well as the second-order equation model was selected as a kinetic model. The maximum adsorption capacity of the proposed magnetic sorbent was achieved to be 110.0 mg g⁻¹ which shows the applicability of proposed sorbent for removal of disulfine blue dye from aqueous solution.     

Novel Cellulose Derivatives Containing Metal (Cu,Fe, Ni) Oxide Nanoparticles as Eco-Friendly Corrosion Inhibitors for C-Steel in Acidic Chloride Solutions

Novel environmentally-friendly corrosion inhibitors based on primary aminated modified cellulose (PAC) containing nano-oxide of some metals (MONPs), for instance iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄NPs), copper oxide nanoparticles (CuONPs), and nickel oxide nanoparticles (NiONPs), were successfully synthesized. The as-prepared PAC/MONPs nanocomposites were categorized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), transmission electron microscope (TEM), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and selected area diffraction pattern (SAED) techniques. The data from spectroscopy indicated that successful formation of PAC/MONPs nanocomposites, as well as the TEM images, declared the synthesized PAC/Fe₃O₄NPs, PAC/CuONPs, and PAC/NiONPs with regular distribution with particle size diameters of 10, 23 and 43 nm, respectively. The protection performance of the as-prepared PAC and PAC/MONPs nanocomposites on the corrosion of C-steel in molar HCl was studied by the electrochemical and weight-loss approaches. The outcomes confirmed that the protection power increased with a rise in the [inhibitor]. The protection efficiency reached 88.1, 93.2, 96.1 and 98.6% with 250 ppm of PAC/CuONP, PAC/Fe₃O₄NPs, and PAC/NiONPs, respectively. PAC and all PAC/MONPs nanocomposites worked as mixed-kind inhibitors and their adsorption on the C-steel interface followed the isotherm Langmuir model. The findings were reinforced by FT-IR, FE-SEM and EDX analyses.     

Nickel oxide/expanded graphite nanocomposite electrodes for supercapacitor application

Nickel oxide/expanded graphite (NiO/EG) nanocomposites with different loading of EG were prepared through chemically depositing Ni(OH)₂ in EG followed by thermal annealing and characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer–Emmet–Teller (BET) isotherm and electrochemical measurements. The prepared NiO/EG composites were found to be crystalline and highly porous with high specific surface area and pore volume. SEM analysis reveals uniform porous morphology for NiO in the NiO/EG-60 nanocomposites which shows good specific capacitance (510?F?g^?1) at a current density of 100?mA?g^?1 in 6?mol?L^?1 KOH measured by chronopotentiometry employing a three-electrode system. The specific capacitance retention of the NiO/EG-60 nanocomposites was found to be ca. 95% after 500 continuous galvanostatic charge–discharge cycles, indicating that the NiO/EG nanocomposites can become promising electro-active materials for supercapacitor application.     

Adsorption of uranium from aqueous solution using HDTMA+-pillared bentonite: isotherm, kinetic and thermodynamic aspects

The ability of hexadecyltrimethylammonium cation pillared bentonite (HDTMA⁺-bentonite) has been explored for the removal and recovery of uranium from aqueous solutions. The adsorbent was characterized using small-angle X-ray diffraction, high resolution transmission electron microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The influences of different experimental parameters such as solution pH, initial uranium concentration, contact time, dosage and temperature on adsorption were investigated. The HDTMA⁺-bentonite exhibited the highest uranium sorption capacity at initial pH of 6.0 and at 80?min. Adsorption kinetics was better described by the pseudo-second-order model and adsorption process could be well defined by the Langmuir isotherm. The thermodynamic parameters, ??G° (308?K), ??H°, and ??S° were determined to be ?31.64, ?83.84?kJ/mol, and ?169.49?J/mol/K, respectively, which demonstrated the sorption process of HDTMA⁺-bentonite towards U(VI) was feasible, spontaneous, and exothermic in nature. The adsorption on HDTMA⁺-bentonite was more favor than Na-bentonite, in addition the saturated monolayer sorption capacity increased from 65.02 to 106.38?mg/g at 298?K after HDTMA⁺ pillaring. Complete removal (??100%) of U(VI) from 1.0?L simulated nuclear industry wastewater containing 10.0?mg U(VI) ions was possible with 1.5?g HDTMA⁺-bentonite.     

Evaluation of PANI-Averraoha bilimbi leaves activated carbon nanocomposite for Cd2+ and Pb2+ removal from wastewater

In current investigation, we synthesized new Polyaniline-Averraoha Bilimbi Leaves Activated Carbon (PANI-ABLC) nanocomposites and utilized as cost effectual for the elimination of Cd²⁺ and Pb²⁺ ions from the wastewater. The synthesized nanocomposite was confirmed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) with Energy Dispersive X-Ray (EDX), Fourier Transform-Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and X-Ray Diffraction (X-RD) techniques. A batch adsorption study carried in wastewater containing different concentrations of Cd²⁺ and Pb²⁺ ions in the temperature range of 303–343 K. The results show that, around 80% of Cd²⁺ and Pb²⁺ ions from the wastewater was successfully isolated by using PANI-ABLC nanocomposite. Attempts were made to fit adsorption to different isotherm models. The PANI-ABLC nanocomposite complied Langmuir adsorption model (R² = 0.999) and pseudo-second order kinetics. Further, maximum adsorption efficiency observed at 0.5 g of Polyaniline-Averraoha bilimbi leaves activated carbon nanocomposites. AC- Impedance Spectroscopy (IS) technique shows that, Polyaniline-Averraoha Bilimbi Leaves Activated Carbon (PANI-ABLC) nanocomposite is suitable for removal of Cd²⁺ and Pb²⁺ ions from the wastewater. AC impedance spectroscopy technique study shows that, the process of adsorption was controlled by charge transfer process.     

Synthesis of nanostructured iron titanates by soft chemistry methods

The efficiency of various methods for the preparation of titania-based nanocomposites, Fe₂Ti₂O₇ and Fe₂TiO₅, starting from colloid solutions of hydroxy iron species and the products of titanium tetraisopropoxide hydrolysis was evaluated. The effect of the conditions of synthesis (Fe³⁺/Ti⁴⁺ concentration ratios of 1 and 2, pH of the reaction medium, temperature, and sonication) on the composition, structure, and properties of the nanocomposites formed was elucidated; the effect of the phase composition on the photocatalytic activity of materials formed during the liquid-phase synthesis was established. The resulting materials were studied by electron microscopy, low-temperature adsorption, IR spectroscopy, and powder X-ray diffraction.     

Magnetic retrievable Ag/AgBr/ZnFe2O4 photocatalyst for efficient removal of organic pollutant under visible light

In the present work, a visible-light-driven Ag/AgBr/ZnFe₂O₄ photocatalyst has been successfully synthesized via a deposition–precipitation and photoreduction method. The crystal structure, chemical composition, morphology and optical properties of the as-prepared nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray diffraction spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscope, UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and photoluminescence. The photocatalytic activities of the Ag/AgBr/ZnFe₂O₄ nanocomposites were evaluated through the photodegradation of gaseous toluene and methyl orange (MO) under visible light. The results revealed that the as-prepared Ag/AgBr/ZnFe₂O₄ nanocomposite exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity. The degrading efficiency of MO could still reach 90% after four cycles, and the Ag/AgBr/ZnFe₂O₄ nanocomposite could be recycled easily by a magnet. Additionally, the enhanced photocatalytic mechanism was discussed according to the trapping experiments, which indicated that the photo-generated holes (h⁺) and •O₂⁻ played important roles in photodegradation process. At last, a possible photocatalytic oxidation pathways of toluene was proposed based on the results of GC–MS. The Ag/AgBr/ZnFe₂O₄ composites showed potential application for efficient removal of organic pollutant.     

Preparation and characterization of poly(vinyl alcohol)/organo-modified cloisite Na+ with chiral L-leucine amino acid/TiO2 nanocomposites

Poly(vinyl alcohol)/organo-clay/TiO₂ nanocamposites films were prepared with 10 wt % of organo-nanoclay and various amount of TiO₂ nanoparticles. Cloisite Na⁺ has been modified via cation exchange reaction using ammonium salt of natural L-leucine amino acid as a cationic surfactant. After that poly(vinyl alcohol)/organo-nanoclay/TiO₂ nanocomposites were synthesized by dispersion of TiO₂ on the surfaces of organo-nanoclay in poly(vinyl alcohol) matrix by using ultrasonic energy. Three nanocomposites with different loading of TiO₂ were prepared and characterized by X-ray diffraction, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, field emission type scanning electron microscope, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and ultraviolet-visible transmission spectra. The results showed that the organo-nanoclay and TiO₂ were dispersed homogeneously in poly(vinyl alcohol) matrix and also showed improvement in their thermal properties compared with the pure poly(vinyl alcohol).     

Influence of borohydride concentration on the synthesized Au/graphene nanocomposites for direct borohydride fuel cell

Au/graphene nanocomposites are prepared via a one-pot chemical reduction process at room temperature, using graphene oxide (GO) and chloroauric acid (HAuCl₄) as precursors. The obtained Au/graphene nanocomposites are characterized with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). TEM shows that the Au nanoparticles with size of approximately 8.7 nm disperse randomly on the surface of graphene. XPS confirms that the Au/graphene nanocomposites show a higher atomic percentage of C/O (6.3/1), in contrast to its precursor GO (2.2/1). Electrochemical studies reveal that the Au/graphene nanocomposites have electrochemically active surface area of 9.82 m² g^?1. Besides, the influence of borohydride concentration on the as-prepared Au/graphene nanocomposites is investigated in details by cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry, and chronopotentiometry. The results indicate that high concentration of borohydride can significantly improve the electrochemical performance of the Au/graphene catalyst.