Enhanced catalytic hydrogenation activity of Ni/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite prepared by a solid-state method

A simple solid-state method has been applied to synthesize Ni/reduced graphene oxide (Ni/rGO) nanocomposite under ambient condition. Ni nanoparticles with size of 10–30 nm supported on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanosheets are obtained through one-pot solid-state co-reduction among nickel chloride, graphene oxide, and sodium borohydride. The Ni/rGO nanohybrid shows enhanced catalytic activity toward the reduction of p-nitrophenol (PNP) into p-aminophenol compared with Ni nanoparticles. The results of kinetic research display that the pseudo-first-order rate constant for hydrogenation reaction of PNP with Ni/rGO nanocomposite is 7.66 × 10−3 s−1, which is higher than that of Ni nanoparticles (4.48 × 10−3 s−1). It also presents superior turnover frequency (TOF, 5.36 h−1) and lower activation energy (Ea, 29.65 kJ mol−1) in the hydrogenation of PNP with Ni/rGO nanocomposite. Furthermore, composite catalyst can be magnetically separated and reused for five cycles. The large surface area and high electron transfer property of rGO support are beneficial for good catalytic performance of Ni/rGO nanocomposite. Our study demonstrates a simple approach to fabricate metal-rGO heterogeneous nanostructures with advanced functions.