Fabrication of Pt-CeO2 nanoparticles supported sulfonated reduced graphene oxide as an efficient electrocatalyst for ethanol oxidation

We synthesized graphene oxide (GO) using the electrochemical exfoliation of graphite rod and then fabricated sulfonated reduced graphene oxide (SRGO) using lyophilization-assisted technique from a liquid mixture of GO and (NH4)(2)SO4 with a subsequent thermal treatment in N-2 saturated. Pt and CeO2 nanoparticles can be anchored on the oxygenated functional groups of SRGO sheets. The as-prepared SRGO, CeO2/SRGO, Pt/SRGO, and PtCeO2/SRGO nanocomposites have been carefully characterized by spectroscopic and electrochemical techniques. FTIR spectrum confirms the presence of a sulfonic acid group. X-ray diffractometer and tunneling electron microscopy techniques are employed to study the crystallite size. The ionic resistance of Pt/SRGO without Nafion solution in catalyst layer was equal to the Pt/RGO and Nafion solution but the catalytic activities of the PtCeO2/SRGO are higher than Pt/RGO with Nafion and Pt/SRGO electrodes for ethanol oxidation. Furthermore, the activation energy of the Pt-CeO2/SRGO anode was much lower than that of the Pt/RGO with Nafion and Pt/SRGO, which can reveal the particular properties of the exfoliated SRGO supports and PtCeO2. Copyright (C) 2016, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.