Newly Designed Graphene Cellular Monolith Functionalized with Hollow Pt-M (M = Ni, Co) Nanoparticles as the Electrocatalyst for Oxygen Reduction Reaction

Newly designed graphene cellular monoliths (GCMs) functionalized with hollow Pt-M nanoparticles (NPs) (Pt-M/GCM, M = Ni, Co) have been successfully achieved by a facile and powerful method on the basis of sonochemical-assisted reduction and gelatinization processes. First, hollow Pt-M (M = Ni, Co) NPs were synthesized and distributed on graphene oxide sheets (Pt-M/GO) by sodium borohydride reduction of metal precursors in the ultrasonic environment. Second, the hollow structure was further formed by ascorbic acid (AA) reduction of Pt precursors in gelatinization process. Meanwhile, GO sheets with hollow Pt-M NPs were reduced to graphene, and were assembled into Pt-M/GCM hydrogels by gelatinization process. The Pt-M/GCM (M = Ni, Co) electrocatalysts have a factor of 9.4–18.9 enhancement in electrocatalytic activity and higher durability toward oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), compared with those of commercial Pt/C catalyst. In detail, the mass activities for Pt–Ni/GCM and Pt–Co/GCM are 1.26 A mg Pt –1 and 1.79 A mg Pt –1, respectively; meanwhile, the corresponding specific activities are 1.03 and 2.08 mA cm –2 . The successful synthesis of such attractive materials paves the way to explore a series of porous materials in widespread applications.