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.