Graphene supported palladium-phosphorus nanoparticles as a promising catalyst for ethylene glycol oxidation

In this work, a novel composite catalyst, consisting of palladium (Pd), non-metallic phosphorus (P) and graphene (GE) has been successfully prepared by a facile sodium borohydride (NaBH4) reduction method and investigated as a catalyst for ethylene glycol oxidation reaction (EGOR) in alkaline media. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images exhibit that PdP nanoparticles (NPs) are evenly dispersed on the GE surface. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurement reveals that P could modify the electronic structure of Pd and a stronger electronic interaction exists between them. Electrochemical tests demonstrate that the as-prepared Pd-P/GE catalyst displays higher electrocatalytic performance and better electrochemical stability toward EGOR in comparison with the monometallic Pd catalyst (Pd/GE), with the best performance observed for the PdP(1:1)/GE catalyst. All results suggest that the introduction of non-metallic P is indeed a useful way to enhance the electrocatalytic performance of Pd, which is expected to shed some light on the design of catalysts containing nonmetal P or even other nonmetals to accelerate the commercialization of fuel cells.