Preparation of high electrochemical activity Pd/RGO composites on the microemulsion interface through radiation technique

Abstract Radiation techniques, with their advantages of being clean, economical, and efficient, have been widely studied for the synthesis of nanocomposites. In this study, reduced graphene loading palladium nanoparticles (Pd/RGO) were prepared in situ in a single step at the phase interface of an ionic liquid (IL)-based microemulsion of these nanoparticles exposed to a high-energy electron beam. The influence of the radiation dose and initial mass ratio of graphene oxide (GO) and PdCl2 were studied. In addition, the effect of the length of the alkyl chain of the IL on the shape and Pd nanoparticle content of Pd/RGO composites, as well as their electrochemical activity, were investigated in detail. The radiation dose did not affect the shape of the Pd nanoparticles but increased the Pd nanoparticle content of the Pd/RGO composites when the dose exceeded 80 kGy. The Pd nanoparticle content of the Pd/RGO composites decreased as the alkyl chain length of the ILs and the initial mass ratio of GO and PdCl2 increased. Both the Pd nanoparticle content and their distribution in the Pd/RGO composites have a great influence on their electrochemical performance. Finally, Pd/RGO composites with excellent electrochemical activity were produced efficiently by using the radiation technique. This study provides a basis for the synthesis of carbon-based noble metal nanocomposites using a simple clean and efficient method.