Noble metal doped graphene nanocomposites and its study of photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

This work reports the deposition of platinum (Pt) nanoparticles on the surface of graphene nanosheet by a simple approach, using a microwave-assisted method. The photocatalytic activity has been investigated for hydrogen evolution. The hydrogen evolutions were attributed to graphene, due to its high photoelectron transport properties, and the Pt nanoparticles attached on the surface of graphene sheet, which act as reaction centers for H-2 evolution. The "as-prepared" composites were characterized by Brunauer Emmett Teller (BET) surface area measurement, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS). This work highlights the potential application of graphene-based materials in the field of energy conversion. (C) 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.