Crinkly Polypyrrole-Modified reduced graphene oxide loaded Pd nanoparticles as Highly efficient electrocatalyst for ethylene glycol oxidation

Exploration of suitable support materials for noble metal nanocatalysts to reduce the mass loading and optimize the electrocatalytic performance for ethylene glycol oxidation reaction (EGOR) remains a key challenge. Herein the crinkly polypyrrole (PPy)-modified reduced graphene oxide (rGO) was prepared through a facile and efficient in-situ polymerization approach and utilized as the support for Pd nanoparticles. PPy as "spacers" coating on the surface of rGO nanosheets, inhibiting the aggregation and restacking, which greatly increased the available surface area of rGO. Furthermore, this interface-rich structure can offer an efficient pathway for electron conduction, which helps to improve the electrochemical properties of the catalyst. More impressively, the optimized Pd-PPy-rGO1 nanocomposite outperforms the Pd-PPy and commercial Pd-C with the higher mass activity/specific activity (5550.2 mA mgPd-1/30.0 mA cm−2), the improved intrinsic activity (TOF value of 6.5 s−1) and the enhanced stability toward electrocatalytic EGOR. The superior electrocatalytic performance benefits from the increased specific surface area of the crinkly and interface-rich PPy-rGO and the high utilization efficiency of Pd active sites during the EGOR. This work is expected to give a rational avenue to design interface-rich conducting polymer-rGO nanocomposite support for fuel cells anode catalysts.