The Reduction of Cu 2+ Promoted by Zn or Ni on rGO

In this study, we prepared reduced graphene oxide (rGO) from natural graphite by a redox method. The salts Cu(NO3)2 and Ni(NO3)2, Cu(NO3)2 and Zn(NO3)2, Cu(NO3)2, Ni(NO3)2, and Zn(NO3)2 are loaded onto rGO by an impregnation method. The support material is calcined to obtain the fresh catalyst. The catalysts are analyzed by thermogravimetric analysis, x-ray diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman analysis, and scanning and transmission electron microscopic imaging. The results showed that Ni and Zn are evenly distributed on the carrier. The size of the copper crystals in CuNi-rGO and CuZn-rGO is smaller than that of Cu-rGO. The smaller the copper crystal, the more easily Cu2+ can be reduced to Cu0 and Cu+. The addition of Ni and Zn can promote reduction of Cu2+ to Cu0 and Cu+ and may significantly improve the catalytic performance.