Fabrication of bimetallic Pt/Pd nanoparticles on 2-thiolbenzimidazole functionalized reduced graphene oxide for methanol oxidation

Abstract

In this study, an electrocatalyst based on 2-thiolbenzimidazole (TBI) functionalized reduced graphene oxide (rGO) with platinum and palladium nanoparticles (Pt-PdNPs) was synthesized. The successful synthesis of nanomaterials and the prepared glassy carbon electrode (GCE) surfaces were confirmed by transmission electron microscope, X-ray photo electron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction method. The effective surface areas of TBIrGO/GCE, PdNPs/TBIrGO/GCE, PtNPs/TBIrGO/GCE and Pt-PdNPs/TBIrGO/GCE were calculated to be 324, 578, 667 and 1189 cm2/mg, respectively. According to the results, the electrochemical surface area of the Pt-PdNPs/TBIrGO is 3.67, 2.06 and 1.78 times higher than those of TBIrGO, PdNPs/TBIrGO and PtNPs/TBIrGO, respectively. The Pt-PdNPs/TBIrGO/GCE also exhibited higher peak current for methanol oxidation than those of comparable TBIrGO/GCE, PdNPs/TBIrGO/GCE, PtNPs/TBIrGO/GCE modified GCEs, thus providing evidence for its higher electro-catalytic activity. © 2015, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.