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We report on a new and facile method for the preparation of well-dispersed gold-palladium (AuPd) flower-shaped nanostructures on sheets of graphene oxide (GO). Transmission electron microscopy and high angle annular dark field STEM were used to characterize the morphology and composition of the new nanohybrids. The AuPd/GO composites display high electrocatalytic activity for the oxidation of ethanol in strongly alkaline medium as examined by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. Both the current density (13.16 mA · cm at a working potential of −0.12 V) and the long-time stability are superior to a commercial Pd-on-carbon catalyst which is attributed to the cooperative action of the catalytic activities of Au and Pd, and the good dispersion of the alloy on the nanosheets. [Figure not available: see fulltext.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Flower-shape palladium nanostructures have been synthesized on the surface of graphene oxide by a simple effective method in the absence of any reducing chemical reagent. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), and Fourier transform infrared spectra (FT-IR) were used to characterize GO. The flower-shape palladium/Graphene oxide (FS-Pd/GO) nanocomposites are characterized by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD). As-prepared FS-Pd/GO nanocomposites exhibited excellent performance on the electrocatalytic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and the glucose oxidation reaction. This method may open a general approach for preparing metal nanostructures on GO sheets for applications in fuel cells, biosensing and other fields. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A hybrid material of graphene oxide (GO) sheets beaded with ZnO nanoparticles was prepared. The material extends over a few hundred square nanometers, in which the ZnO nanoparticles (average diameter (∼5nm)) are dispersed evenly on the GO sheet. Both the surface photovoltage or surface photocurrent intensity for the material are much stronger than for pure ZnO nanoparticles, meaning that the free charge carriers can effectively be transferred from ZnO nanoparticles to GO sheets, which can serve as a probe to monitor the electron transfer from excited ZnO to GO. Anchoring ZnO nanoparticles on two dimensional carbon nanostructures such as GO can pave a way towards the design of ordered nanostructure assemblies that can harvest light energy efficiently. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]