Synthesis of graphene-supported noble metal hybrid nanostructures and their applications as advanced electrocatalysts for fuel cells

Graphene (GN) is an emerging carbon material that may soon find practical applications. With its unusual properties, GN is an ideal platform for constructing a series of GN-based functional nanomaterials. Among them, GN/noble metal hybrids become one of the families of composite materials with extraordinary properties by combining the advantages of noble metal nanostructures and GN. The recent progress in the synthesis of GN/noble metal hybrids is presented first, such as in situ solution based methods, electrochemical deposition methods, self-assembly and other methods. Then, the applications of these novel GN/noble metal hybrids in fuel cells are summarized and discussed. Future research trends and challenges of design and synthesis of GN/noble metal hybrids are proposed.