Synthesis of Fe3O4 and Pt nanoparticles on reduced graphene oxide and their use as a recyclable catalyst

A bifunctional Fe3O4-Pt/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) composite, i.e. Fe3O4 nanoparticles (similar to 4.8 nm in size) and Pt nanoparticles (similar to 5 nm in size) loaded on a rGO surface, has been synthesized. It shows great catalytic performance for the reduction of methylene blue. Recycling of the composite can be achieved by simply applying an external magnetic field. In addition, the Fe3O4-Pt/rGO composite exhibits a higher catalytic activity and selectivity for aqueous-phase aerobic oxidation of benzyl alcohol than does the FeOx-Pt on carbon nanotubes (i.e. FeOx-Pt/CNT composite). Moreover, the approach for the synthesis of Fe3O4-Pt/rGO composite is simple, and can be widely employed to produce other rGO-based composites with special properties. Our work indicates that the rGO-based bifunctional composite has great potential for practical applications in various fields, such as catalytic reaction, electrochemical sensing, clean energy, etc.