Nanoparticles made of noble metal platinum (Pt) have attracted increasing attention as catalyst for degrading organic contaminants in water. Compared to conventional treatment technologies such as sorption or biological treatment, the main advantage of catalytic water treatment is its rapidness. The disadvantage of catalytic water treatment is, however, the material cost associated with the use of noble metal nanoparticles. Using catalytic reduction of p-nitrophenol as a probe reaction, we show that nanoalloy made of Pt and inexpensive nickel (Ni) has comparable or better performance than pure Pt, suggesting that material cost can be reduced by smart nanoalloy designs. We also show that Pt/Ni nanoalloy particles can be readily fixed on graphene sheets, thereby further reducing material cost by preventing nanoparticle aggregation and facilitating catalyst recollection. Furthermore, graphene-supported Pt/Ni nanoalloy can be readily synthesized using a one-pot, microwave-assisted method within a few minutes. This synthesis method not only represents a green-chemistry practice but also provides new opportunities for the production of sophisticated nano catalysts in developing countries where industrial infrastructure is still being built.

Microwave-assisted synthesis of graphene-supported platinum nickel nanoalloy for catalytic water treatment

247th National Meeting (2014)

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