摘要：Current research on catalysts for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) is based on obtaining higher catalytic activity than platinum particle catalysts on porous carbon. In search of a more sustainable catalyst other than platinum for the catalytic conversion of water to hydrogen gas, a series of nanoparticles of transition metals viz., Rh, Co, Fe, Pt and their composites with functionalized graphene such as RhNPs@f-graphene, CoNPs@f-graphene, PtNPs@f-graphene were synthesized and characterized by SEM and TEM techniques. The SEM analysis indicates that the texture of RhNPs@f-graphene resemble the dispersion of water droplets on lotus leaf. TEM analysis indicates that RhNPs of <10 nm diameter are dispersed on the surface of f-graphene. The air-stable NPs and nanocomposites were used as electrocatalyts for conversion of acidic water to hydrogen gas. The composite RhNPs@f-graphene catalyses hydrogen gas evolution from water containing p-toluene sulphonic acid (p-TsOH) at an onset reduction potential, E p , -0.117 V which is less than that of PtNPs@f-graphene (E p , -0.380 V) under identical experimental conditions whereas the onset potential of CoNPs@f-graphene was at E p , -0.97 V and the FeNPs@f-graphene displayed onset potential at E p , -1.58 V. The pure rhodium nanoparticles, RhNPs also electrocatalyse at E p , -0.186 V compared with that of PtNPs at E p , -0.36 V and that of CoNPs at E p , -0.98 V. The electrocatalytic experiments also indicate that the RhNPs and RhNPs@f-graphene are stable, durable and they can be recycled in several catalytic experiments after washing with water and drying. The results indicate that RhNPs and RhNPs@f-graphene are better nanoelectrocatalysts than PtNPs and the reduction potentials were much higher in other transition metal nanoparticles. The mechanism could involve a hydridic species, Rh-H - followed by interaction with protons to form hydrogen gas.
