Facile synthesis of reduced graphene oxide supported PtAg nanoflowers and their enhanced electrocatalytic activity

In this work, a simple and facile method is developed in the synthesis of well-dispersed PtAg nanoflowers on reduced graphene oxide nanosheets (PtAg/RGOs) under solvothermal conditions, using ethylene glycol as a reducing agent and hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) as capping and stabilizing agents. The as-prepared nanocomposites show a superior electrocatalytic activity, good tolerance, and better stability toward the oxidation of formic acid and ethylene glycol in alkaline media, compared with the commercial Pt/C (10 wt%) catalyst. For the oxidation of formic acid, the PtAg nanoflowers own thirty times higher of the catalytic currents than those of the commercial Pt/C catalyst. Meanwhile, for the oxidation of ethylene glycol, the ratio of forward current (jF) to reverse current (jR) is high up to 8.4, which is almost four times higher than that of the commercial Pt/C catalyst. This strategy provides a promising platform for direct formic acid and ethylene glycol fuel cells.