Direct electrodeposition of well dispersed electrochemical reduction graphene oxide assembled with nickel oxide nanocomposite and its improved electrocatalytic activity toward 2, 4, 6-Trinitrophenol

Abstract Many methods have been proposed for graphene production with good dispersion both in the drying state and in common solvents. In this work, a facile and convenient approach to synthesis of electrochemical reduction graphene oxide (ERGO) and nickel oxide nanoparticles composite through cyclic voltammetry is reported. The proposed method is fast, and green, no toxic solvents are used and therefore will not result in contamination of the as-prepared composites. The products have been successfully characterized by Scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and Photoelectron spectroscopy, and electrochemical technology. The results show that well dispersed composites with layered nanostructures consisting of alternating layers of metal oxide nanoparticles and ERGO sheets can be achieved by the proposed strategy. A thin layer model is used to illustrate the effects of diffusion within the layered nanostructures. The obtained composites modified electrode exhibits superior catalytic performance for the target molecule of 2, 4, 6-trinitrophenol (TNP).