One-step synthesis of Pd and reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites for enhanced hydrogen sorption and storage

Here we report on a one-step facile electrochemical approach for the synthesis of palladium (Pd) nanoparticles and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanocomposites for promising applications in hydrogen sorption and storage. The synthesized catalysts were characterized by electrochemical methods, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Our experimental results have revealed that the prepared nanocomposites exhibited significantly improved performance toward hydrogen sorption and storage in contrast to rGO and pure Pd nanoparticles. The Pd/rGO nanocomposite has shown hydrogen storage capacity of over 11 times increase in the a phase and more than five times enhancement in the beta phase hydrogen sorption when compared to the Pd nanoparticles. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.