Enhanced electron transfer kinetics through hybrid graphene-carbon nanotube films

We report the first study of the electrochemical reactivity of a graphenated carbon nanotube (g-CNT) film. The electron transfer kinetics of the ferri-ferrocyanide couple were examined for a g-CNT film and compared to the kinetics to standard carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The g-CNT film exhibited much higher catalytic activity, with a heterogeneous electron-transfer rate constant, k(0), approximately two orders of magnitude higher than for standard CNTs. Scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy were used to correlate the higher electron transfer kinetics with the higher edge-density of the g-CNT film. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.