Photocatalytic Reduction Synthesis of Ternary Ag Nanoparticles/Polyoxometalate/Graphene Nanohybrids and Its Activity in the Electrocatalysis of Oxygen Reduction

Ternary Ag nanoparticles (NPs)@polyoxometalate (POM)/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanohybrids were prepared by a facile photoreduction method, using POM as the photocatalyst, reducing and bridging molecules. The structure of the nanohybrids was characterized by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, etc. Most importantly, both the rotating disk electrode and rotating ring-disk electrode tests indicated that the Ag NPs@POM/rGO nanohybrids exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activity towards oxygen reduction reaction via a direct four-electron transfer pathway due to the synergistic effect of Ag NPs and rGO.     

铂/{还原氧化石墨烯/硅钨酸盐}_n复合物的制备及其电催化性能

利用层层自组装(LBL)结合原位光照还原法,制备了一系列{还原氧化石墨烯/多金属氧酸盐}n多层复合膜({rGO/POMs}_n),并以此作为载体,再通过恒电势法将Pt纳米粒子电沉积到复合膜载体上,得到一种P t/{rGO/SiW_(12)}_n燃料电池阳极纳米复合膜催化剂。用紫外可见分光光度计(UV-Vis)、原子力显微镜(AFM)以及扫描电子显微镜(SEM)等技术手段对载体复合多层膜的生长情况以及负载Pt纳米簇的表面形貌进行表征。结果表明,载体多层膜{rGO/SiW_(12)}_6被连续均匀地组装到了不同基底(氧化铟锡,ITO或玻碳,GC)表面且多层膜表面平整,在选定恒电势下,沉积于其表面的Pt纳米粒子具有花簇状形貌且分布均匀。比较研究了分别引入3种不同的多金属氧酸盐(硅钨酸盐SiW_(12),磷钼酸盐PMo_(12),磷钨酸盐PW_(12))制得的多层复合膜催化剂,即Pt/{rGO/SiW_(12)}_6、Pt/{rGO/PMo_(12)}_6和Pt/{rGO/PW_(12)}_6。电化学实验研究表明,在甲醇酸性溶液中,Pt/{rGO/SiW_(12)}_6复合膜相较于Pt/{rGO/PMo_(12)}_6、Pt/{rGO/PW_(12)}_6和Pt作为催化剂对甲醇氧化具有更好的电催化活性、电化学稳定性以及更优异的抗CO毒化性能,是一种颇有应用前景的燃料电池阳极催化剂。     

Synthesis of gold and palladium nanoparticles supported on CuO/rGO using imidazolium ionic liquid for CO oxidation

A simple ionic liquid-assisted approach for the fabrication of graphene-based nanocomposite is reported. Pd–CuO/rGO and Au–CuO/rGO nanocomposites are successfully fabricated with the assistance of the ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methyl imidazolium tetrafluoroborate. The physicochemical features of nanocomposite are systematically characterized by XRD, FT-IR, Raman spectroscopy, XPS, TGA, FESEM, AFM, and HRTEM. Carbon monoxide has been used as a probe molecule to emphasize the performance of the fabricated materials. The results indicate that the incorporation of a little quantity of ionic liquid results in the creation of uniformly dispersed NPs simultaneously with the reduction of graphene oxide (GO) into rGO, which leads to a low-temperature CO oxidation process. Besides, the Au–CuO/rGO catalyst achieved excellent durability in CO oxidation for 14 h, without detectable deactivation. The low-temperature CO oxidation was mainly induced by the synergistic effects between the components of catalysts. The Au or Pd and CuO combination not only generates more interfaces, which is more favorable for the activation of oxygen but also enhances the catalyst reduction behavior. Consequently, a graphene composite catalyst can be considered a potential CO oxidation candidate.

     

Electrochemical‐Reduction‐Assisted Assembly of a Polyoxometalate/Graphene Nanocomposite and Its Enhanced Lithium‐Storage Performance

Herein, we present an electrochemically assisted method for the reduction of graphene oxide (GO) and the assembly of polyoxometalate clusters on the reduced GO (rGO) nanosheets for the preparation of nanocomposites. In this method, the Keggin‐type H₄SiW₁₂O₄₀ (SiW₁₂) is used as an electrocatalyst. During the reduction process, SiW₁₂ transfers the electrons from the electrode to GO, leading to a deep reduction of GO in which the content of oxygen‐containing groups is decreased to around 5 %. Meanwhile, the strong adsorption effect between the SiW₁₂ clusters and rGO nanosheets induces the spontaneous assembly of SiW₁₂ on rGO in a uniformly dispersed state, forming a porous, powder‐type nanocomposite. More importantly, the nanocomposite shows an enhanced capacity of 275 mAh g^?1 as a cathode active material for lithium storage, which is 1.7 times that of the pure SiW₁₂. This enhancement is attributed to the synergistic effect of the conductive rGO support and the well‐dispersed state of the SiW₁₂ clusters, which facilitate the electron transfer and lithium‐ion diffusion, respectively. Considering the facile, mild, and environmentally benign features of this method, it is reasonable as a general route for the incorporation of more types of functional polyoxometalates onto graphene matrices; this may allow the creation of nanocomposites for versatile applications, for example, in the fields of catalysis, electronics, and energy storage.     

Catalytic Performance of Carbon Materials Supported Pd Nanoparticles in Selective Hydrogenation of Acetylene

Pd/C catalysts were prepared by deposited Pd nanoparticles (NPs) on different carbon supports including activated carbon (AC), graphite oxide (GO), and reduced graphite oxide (rGO) using sol-immobilization method. Through transmission electron microscopy, powder X-ray di raction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, the role of the carbon supports for the catalytic performances of Pd/C catalysts was examined in selective hydrogenation of acetylene. The results indicate that Pd/AC exhibited higher activity and selectivity than Pd/GO and Pd/rGO in the gas phase selective hydrogenation of acetylene. Thermal and chemical treatment of AC supports also have some effect on the catalytic performance of Pd/AC catalysts. The differences in the activity and selectivity of various Pd/C catalysts were partly attributed to the metal-support interaction.     

Electrocatalytic Acitivity of rGO/PEDOT : PSS Nanocomposite towards Methanol Oxidation in Alkaline Media

Increasing demand of alternative energy sources leads to the development of new electrocatalytic materials for fuel cells. In present work, we report the synthesis of rGO/PEDOT : PSS (reduced graphene oxide/ Poly (3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) : Polystyrene sulfonate) nanocomposite by in‐situ polymerization method using EDOT as precursor and the nanocomposite is used as anode catalyst for methanol oxidation. Structural and chemical characterizations such as XRD, FTIR and Micro‐Raman confirm the formation of the nanocomposite. From TEM image, growth of nanofibrous PEDOT : PSS on rGO nanosheets is observed. Electrochemical characterizations of rGO/PEDOT : PSS/ITO electrode are performed by Cyclic Voltammetry (CV), Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) and Chronoamperometry (CA) measurements. Methanol oxidation reactions are performed in 0.5 M NaOH solution. The anodic current of the nanocomposite coated ITO is found be 37.5 mA at 0.59 V due to methanol electro‐oxidation and retentivity of the electrode is 92 % of initial scan after 800 cycles. The chronoamperometric results reveal that the nanocomposite modified electrode exhibits better stability with retention factor of 42.4 % up to 3000 seconds. The rGO/PEDOT : PSS/ITO electrode exhibits enhanced electrocatalytic activity towards methanol oxidation reaction due to larger surface area and excellent conductivity of rGO nanosheet.     

Fabrication of Trimetallic Pt−Pd−Co Porous Nanostructures on Reduced Graphene Oxide by Galvanic Replacement: Application to Electrocatalytic Oxidation of Ethylene Glycol

In present work, reduced graphene oxide nanosheets (rGO) decorated with trimetallic three‐dimensional (3D) Pt−Pd−Co porous nanostructures was fabricated on glassy carbon electrode (Pt−Pd−Co/rGO/GCE). First, GO suspension was drop‐casted on the electrode surface, then GO film reduction was carried out by cycling the potential in negative direction to form the rGO film modified GCE (rGO/GCE). Then, electrodeposition of the cobalt nanoparticles (CoNPs) as sacrificial seeds was performed onto the rGO/GCE by using cyclic voltammetry. Afterward, Pt−Pd−Co 3D porous nanostructures fabrication occurs through galvanic replacement (GR) method based on a spontaneous redox process between PtCl₂, PdCl_2, and CoNPs. The morphology and structure of the Pt−Pd−Co/rGO porous nanostructure film was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy and X‐ray diffraction method. The performance of the prepared electrode was investigated by various electrochemical methods including, cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The electrocatalytic activity of the as‐prepared modified electrode with high surface areas was evaluated in anodic oxidation of ethylene glycol. The study on electrocatalytic performances revealed that, in comparison to various metal combinations in modified electrodes, trimetallic Pt−Pd−Co/rGO/GCE exhibit a lower onset potential, significantly higher peak current density, high durability and stability for the anodic oxidation of ethylene glycol. The excellent performances are attributed to the rGO as catalysts support and resulting synergistic effects of the trimetallic and appropriate characteristics of the resulted 3D porous nanostructures. Moreover, the influence of various concentrations of ethylene glycol, the potential scan rate and switching potential on the electrode reaction, in addition, long‐term stability have been studied by chronoamperometric and cyclic voltammetric methods.     

Stable photochromism and controllable reduction properties of surfactant-encapsulated polyoxometalate/silica hybrid films

In this paper, we present a novel strategy for fabricating polyoxometalate (POM)-based photochromic silica hybrid films. To combine metal nanoparticles (NPs) into the POMs embedded silica matrix, furthermore, we realized the controllable in situ synthesis of metal NPs in the film by utilizing the reduction property of POMs existing in the reduced state. Through electrostatic encapsulation with hydroxyl-terminated surfactants, the POMs with good redox property can be covalently grafted onto a silica matrix by means of a sol-gel approach, and stable silica sol-gel thin films containing surfactant-encapsulated POMs can be obtained. The functional hybrid film exhibits both the transparent and easily processible properties of silica matrix and the stable and reversible photochromism of POMs. In addition, well-dispersed POMs in a hydrophobic microenvironment within the hybrid film can be used as reductants for the in situ synthesis of metal NPs. More significantly, the size and location of NPs can be tuned by controlling the adsorption time of metal ions and mask blocking the surface. The hybrid film containing both POMs and metal NPs with patterned morphology can be obtained, which has potential applications in optical display, memory, catalysis, microelectronic devices and antibacterial materials.     

Polyoxometalate‐Mediated One‐Pot Synthesis of Pd Nanocrystals with Controlled Morphologies for Efficient Chemical and Electrochemical Catalysis

Polyoxometalates (POMs), as inorganic ligands, can endow metal nanocrystals (NCs) with unique reactivities on account of their characteristic redox properties. In the present work, we present a facile POM‐mediated one‐pot aqueous synthesis method for the production of single‐crystalline Pd NCs with controlled shapes and sizes. The POMs could function as both reducing and stabilizing agents in the formation of NCs, and thus gave a fine control over the nucleation and growth kinetics of NCs. The prepared POM‐stabilized Pd NCs exhibited excellent catalytic activity and stability for electrocatalytic (formic acid oxidation) and catalytic (Suzuki coupling) reactions compared to Pd NCs prepared without the POMs. This shows that the POMs play a pivotal role in determining the catalytic performance, as well as the growth, of NCs. We envision that the present approach can offer a convenient way to develop efficient NC‐based catalyst systems.     

Concise,Single‐Step Synthesis of Sulfur‐Enriched Graphene: Immobilization of Molecular Clusters and Battery Applications

The concise synthesis of sulfur‐enriched graphene for battery applications is reported. The direct treatment of graphene oxide (GO) with the commercially available Lawesson's reagent produced sulfur‐enriched‐reduced GO (S‐rGO). Various techniques, such as X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), confirmed the occurrence of both sulfur functionalization and GO reduction. Also fabricated was a nanohybrid material by using S‐rGO with polyoxometalate (POM) as a cathode‐active material for a rechargeable battery. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed that POM clusters were individually immobilized on the S‐rGO surface. This battery, based on a POM/S‐rGO complex, exhibited greater cycling stability for the charge‐discharge process than a battery with nanohybrid materials positioned between the POM and nonenriched rGO. These results demonstrate that the use of sulfur‐containing groups on a graphene surface can be extended to applications such as the catalysis of electrochemical reactions and electrodes in other battery systems.     

Polyoxometalate-stabilized Pt nanoparticles and their electrocatalytic activities

The synthesis of long-term stable polyoxometalate (POM)-stabilized Pt nanoparticles (NPs) is described here. By means of controlled bulk electrolysis, the reduced POM anions, SiW(12)O(40)(4-) (or SiW(12)) and H(2)W(12)O(40)(6-) (or H(2)W(12)), respectively, served the dual role of reductant and protecting/stabilizing ligand for the Pt NPs. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images confirmed the formation of 3 to 4 nm sized Pt NPs, which coincidently was in the same size range of the commercial Pt black that was used as a reference. Elemental XPS analyses showed W/Pt ratios of 0.12 for the SiW(12)- and 0.18 for the H(2)W(12)-stabilized Pt NPs, but found no evidence of the presence of Cl(-) anion in the samples. Controlled electrochemical (EC), UV-Vis, and IR data provided unambiguous evidence for the structural integrity of the POM anions on the Pt NP surface. CO stripping, methanol oxidation reaction (MOR), and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) were used to assess their electrocatalytic activities. It was found that both SiW(12)- and H(2)W(12)-stabilized Pt NPs showed enhanced activities in MOR and ORR as compared to that of Pt black, with the latter having higher enhancement. These observations clearly demonstrated that the stabilizing POM anions have a profound influence on the electrocatalytic activity of the underlying Pt NPs.     

Amorphizing of Ag Nanoparticles under Bioinspired One‐step Assembly of Fe3O4‐Ag/rGO Hybrids via Self‐redox Process with Enhanced Activity

Efficient and reusable nanocatalysts fabricated via a facile assembly are highly desirable for the cost‐effective hydrogenation reduction. Inspired by a fishing process with a fishnet, multifunctional nanostructured catalysts are rationally designed to combine interesting features via the self‐redox assembly of Fe₃O₄‐Ag composites on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) (Fe₃O₄‐Ag/rGO). In detail, Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles (NPs) endow the ternary hybrids with superparamagnetism (21.42 emu g^?1), facilitating catalysts to be separated from the reaction system. rGO could provide electron transfer pathways, enhancing catalytic activity. More interestingly, GO and Ag⁺ could behave as oxidants to oxidize Fe²⁺ for the in situ assembly of Fe₃O₄‐Ag/rGO without any addition of reductant/oxidant or organic solvents, and AgNPs endow the ternary hybrids with excellent catalytic behaviour. Meaningfully, the bioinspired process enables the ternary hybrids to possess more abundant micro?/nanopores, larger surface area, and more amorphization. They exhibit exceptional catalytic performance, and could be recycled with excellent activity by means of convenient magnetic separation (at least 7 times). Moreover, the ternary hybrids could degrade methylene blue under UV light due to different valence states of Fe in Fe₃O₄. Therefore, the proposed bioinspired assembly and structure design for hierarchical catalysts would pave a promising way to assemble other catalysts.     

One‐pot self‐assembly and photoreduction synthesis of silver nanoparticle‐decorated reduced graphene oxide/MIL‐125(Ti) photocatalyst with improved visible light photocatalytic activity

In recent years, tremendous research efforts have been made towards developing metal–organic framework (MOF)‐based composites for photocatalytic applications. In this work, bipyramid‐like MIL‐125(Ti) frustum enwrapped with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and dispersed silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) was fabricated using an efficient one‐pot self‐assembly and photoreduction strategy. The as‐obtained materials were characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherms, and X‐ray photoelectron, ultraviolet–visible diffuse reflectance and photoluminescence spectroscopies. It is found that the as‐prepared Ag/rGO/MIL‐125(Ti) ternary hybrids have large surface area, microporous structure, enhanced visible light absorption and prolonged lifetime of charge carriers. Compared with pure MIL‐125(Ti) and its binary counterparts, the ternary composite exhibits more efficient photocatalytic performance for Rhodamine B (RhB) degradation from water under visible light irradiation. The photodegradation rate of RhB on Ag/rGO/MIL‐125(Ti) is 0.0644 min^?1, which is 1.62 times higher than that of the pure MIL‐125(Ti). The improved photocatalytic performance is ascribed to the indirect dye photosensitization, the Ag NP localized surface plasmon resonance, the Ti³⁺–Ti⁴⁺ intervalence electron transfer and the synergistic effect among MIL‐125(Ti), Ag NPs and rGO. Ag NPs serve as an efficient ‘electron reservoir’ and rGO as an electron transporter and collector. Therefore, this work provides a new pathway into the design of MOF‐based composites for application in environmental and energy fields. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Concise,Single-Step Synthesis of Sulfur-Enriched Graphene: Immobilization of Molecular Clusters and Battery Applications

The concise synthesis of sulfur-enriched graphene for battery applications is reported. The direct treatment of graphene oxide (GO) with the commercially available Lawesson's reagent produced sulfur-enriched-reduced GO (S-rGO). Various techniques, such as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), confirmed the occurrence of both sulfur functionalization and GO reduction. Also fabricated was a nanohybrid material by using S-rGO with polyoxometalate (POM) as a cathode-active material for a rechargeable battery. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed that POM clusters were individually immobilized on the S-rGO surface. This battery, based on a POM/S-rGO complex, exhibited greater cycling stability for the charge-discharge process than a battery with nanohybrid materials positioned between the POM and nonenriched rGO. These results demonstrate that the use of sulfur-containing groups on a graphene surface can be extended to applications such as the catalysis of electrochemical reactions and electrodes in other battery systems.     

Nanoscale polyoxometalate‐based inorganic/organic hybrids

The latest advances in the area of polyoxometalate (POM)‐based inorganic/organic hybrid materials prepared by self‐assembly, covalent modification, and supramolecular interactions are presented. This Review is composed of five sections and documents the effect of organic cations on the formation of novel POMs, surfactant encapsulated POM‐based hybrids, polymeric POM/organic hybrid materials, POMs‐containing ionic crystals, and covalently functionalized POMs. In addition to their role in the charge‐balancing, of anionic POMs, the crucial role of organic cations in the formation and functionalization of POM‐based hybrid materials is discussed. DOI 10.1002/tcr.201100002     

Nanocomposites of Sulfonic Polyaniline Nanoarrays on Graphene Nanosheets with an Improved Supercapacitor Performance

A new nanocomposite, poly(aniline‐co‐diphenylamine‐4‐sulfonic acid)/graphene (PANISP/rGO), was prepared by means of an in situ oxidation copolymerization of aniline (ANI) with diphenylamine‐4‐sulfonic acid (SP) in the presence of graphene oxide, followed by the chemical reduction of graphene oxide using hydrazine hydrate as a reductant. The morphology and structure of PANISP/rGO were characterized by field‐emission (FE) SEM, TEM, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman, FTIR, and UV/Vis spectra. The electrochemical performance was evaluated by cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge–discharge, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The PANISP/rGO nanocomposite showed a nanosized structure, with sulfonic polyaniline nanoarrays coated homogeneously on the surface of graphene nanosheets. This special structure of the nanocomposite also facilitates the enhancement of the electrochemical performance of the electrodes. The PANISP/rGO nanocomposite exhibits a specific supercapacitance up to 1170 F g^?1 at the current density of 0.5 A g^?1. The as‐prepared electrodes show excellent supercapacitive performance because of the synergistic effects between graphene and the sulfonic polyaniline copolymer chains.     

Free‐standing Graphene/Poly(methylene blue)/AgNPs Composite Paper for Electrochemical Sensing of NADH

Highly flexible graphene/poly(methylene blue)/AgNPs composite paper was successfully prepared for amperometric biosensing of NADH. For this purpose, a dispersion including graphene oxide (GO), methylene blue (MB) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was prepared and GO/MB/AgNPs paper was acquired by vacuum‐filtration of this dispersion through a suitable membrane. After peeling it off from membrane, it was transformed to rGO/MB/AgNPs paper by performing reduction with hydriodic acid. In a three‐electrode cell, which is containing 0.1 M phosphate buffer solution (pH: 9.0), rGO/MB/AgNPs paper was used as working electrode and rGO/poly(MB)/AgNPs composite paper was generated by surface‐confined electropolymerization of MB using successive cyclic voltammetry approach in a suitable potential window. Characterization of this composite paper was carried out by using scanning electron microscopy, scanning tunneling microscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, powder X‐ray diffraction spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, four‐point probe conductivity measurement and cyclic voltammetry techniques. Flexible rGO/poly(MB)/AgNPs composite paper has demonstrated high sensitivity, wide linear range and low detection limit for amperometric quantification of NADH.     

Dual Amplified Electrochemical Immunosensor for Hepatitis B Virus Surface Antigen Detection Using Hemin/G‐Quadruplex Immobilized onto Fe3O4‐AuNPs or (Hemin‐Amino‐rGO‐Au) Nanohybrid

A sensitive electrochemical immunosensor for Hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) detection was fabricated based on hemin/G‐quadruplex interlaced onto Fe₃O₄‐AuNPs or hemin ‐amino‐reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite (H‐amino‐rGO‐Au). G‐quadruplex DNAzyme, which is composed of hemin and guanine‐rich nucleic acid, is an effective signal amplified tool for its outstanding peroxidase activity and Fe₃O₄‐AuNPs or (H‐amino‐rGO‐Au) nanocomposites with quasi‐enzyme activity provide appropriate support for the immobilization of hemin/G‐quadruplex. The target protein was sandwiched between the primary antibody immobilized on the GO and secondary antibody immobilized on the Fe₃O₄‐AuNPs or (H‐amino‐rGO‐Au) nanocomposites and glutaraldehyde was used as linking agent for the immobilization of primary antibody on the surface of GO. Both Fe₃O₄‐AuNPs and H‐amino‐rGO‐Au nanocomposite and also hemin/G‐quadruplex can cooperate the electrocatalytic reduction of H₂O₂ in the presence of methylene blue as mediator. The proposed immunosensor has a wide linear dynamic range of 0.1 pg/ml to 300 pg/ml with a detection limit of 60 fg/ml when Fe₃O₄‐AuNPs was used for immobilization of hemin/G‐quadruplex, while the dynamic range and DL were 0. 1–1000 pg/mL and 10 fg/mL, respectively in the presence of H‐amino‐rGO‐ Au nanocomposite as platform for immobilizing of hemin/G‐quadruplex. The proposed immunosensor was also used for analysis of HBsAg in spiked human serum samples with satisfactory results.     

Designed Synthesis of Well‐Defined Pd@Pt Core–Shell Nanoparticles with Controlled Shell Thickness as Efficient Oxygen Reduction Electrocatalysts

Improving the electrocatalytic activity and durability of Pt‐based catalysts with low Pt content toward the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is one of the main challenges in advancing the performance of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). Herein, a designed synthesis of well‐defined Pd@Pt core–shell nanoparticles (NPs) with a controlled Pt shell thickness of 0.4–1.2 nm by a facile wet chemical method and their electrocatalytic performances for ORR as a function of shell thickness are reported. Pd@Pt NPs with predetermined structural parameters were prepared by in situ heteroepitaxial growth of Pt on as‐synthesized 6 nm Pd NPs without any sacrificial layers and intermediate workup processes, and thus the synthetic procedure for the production of Pd@Pt NPs with well‐defined sizes and shell thicknesses is greatly simplified. The Pt shell thickness could be precisely controlled by adjusting the molar ratio of Pt to Pd. The ORR performance of the Pd@Pt NPs strongly depended on the thickness of their Pt shells. The Pd@Pt NPs with 0.94 nm Pt shells exhibited enhanced specific activity and higher durability compared to other Pd@Pt NPs and commercial Pt/C catalysts. Testing Pd@Pt NPs with 0.94 nm Pt shells in a membrane electrode assembly revealed a single‐cell performance comparable with that of the Pt/C catalyst despite their lower Pt content, that is the present NP catalysts can facilitate low‐cost and high‐efficient applications of PEMFCs.     

In situ green synthesis of Cu‐Ni bimetallic nanoparticles supported on reduced graphene oxide as an effective and recyclable catalyst for the synthesis of N‐benzyl‐N‐aryl‐5‐amino‐1H‐tetrazoles

In the present work, for the first time we have designed a novel approach for the synthesis of N‐benzyl‐N‐aryl‐5‐amino‐1H‐tetrazoles using reduced graphene oxide (rGO) decorated with Cu‐Ni bimetallic nanoparticles (NPs). In situ synthesis of Cu/Ni/rGO nanocomposite was performed by a cost efficient, surfactant‐free and environmentally benign method using Crataegus azarolus var. aronia L. leaf extract as a stabilizing and reducing agent. Phytochemicals present in the extract can be used to reduce Cu²⁺ and Ni²⁺ ions and GO to Cu NPs, Ni NPs and rGO, respectively. Analyses by means of FT‐IR, UV–Vis, EDS, TEM, FESEM, XRD and elemental mapping confirmed the Cu/Ni/rGO formation and also FT‐IR, NMR, and mass spectroscopy as well as elemental analysis were used to characterize the tetrazoles. The Cu/Ni/rGO nanocomposite showed the superior catalytic activity for the synthesis of N‐benzyl‐N‐aryl‐5‐amino‐1H‐tetrazoles within a short reaction time and high yields. Furthermore, this protocol eliminates the need to handle HN₃.