One-pot synthesis of reduced graphene oxide supported hollow Ag@Pt core-shell nanospheres with enhanced electrocatalytic activity for ethylene glycol oxidation

In this study, a simple, facile and one-pot solvothermal method was developed for preparation of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) supported hollow Ag@Pt core-shell nanospheres (hAg@Pt), using ethylene glycol (EG) as a reducing agent and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as a soft template. Control experiments demonstrated that the molar ratios of the Pt-Ag precursors, the amount of SDS, the presence of RGO, and the reaction temperature were critical to the final nanocomposites. The as-prepared hAg@Pt-RGO showed the improved electrocatalytic activity and durability toward ethylene glycol oxidation, which can serve as a promising potential electrocatalyst in direct alcohol fuel cells.