Microwave-assisted, environmentally friendly, one-pot preparation of Pd nanoparticles/graphene nanocomposites and their application in electrocatalytic oxidation of methanol

In this communication, we demonstrate for the first time that Pd nanoparticles/graphene nanocomposites (PdNPs-G) can be rapidly synthesized through a microwave-assisted, environmentally friendly, one-pot method with the use of tannic acid (TA) as a reducing agent. It is suggested that the loading amount and sizes of PdNPs on a G sheet can be controlled by the ratio of raw materials and microwave irradiation time. It is also found that the electrocatalytic activity and stability of the resultant PdNPs-G nanocomposites are much better than that of commercial Pd/C catalysts towards methanol electrooxidation in alkaline media.