Reduced graphene oxide–cuprous oxide hybrid nanopowders: Solvothermal synthesis and electrochemical performance

Abstract Reduced graphene oxide–cuprous oxide (RGO–Cu 2 O) hybrid was successfully prepared via a facile and efficient solvothermal synthesis method. The morphology and microstructure of the as-prepared hybrid were characterized by Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images. The result demonstrated that well monodispersed spherical-like Cu 2 O particles precipitate on the RGO layer. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) determined that the crystallographic structure of Cu 2 O is cubic and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) showed that GO had been reduced to RGO in our hybrid. Moreover, the electrochemical performances of the as-prepared hybrid were investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and galvanostatic charge/discharge techniques. It showed that the RGO–Cu 2 O hybrid had a high electrochemical activity, durability, and stability. RGO–Cu 2 O hybrid was expected to be an effective electrode material for formic acid oxidation.