Reduced graphene oxide uniformly decorated with Co nanoparticles: facile synthesis, magnetic and catalytic properties

Herein, Co nanoparticles with high dispersivity were grown in situ on reduced graphene oxide (RGO) nanosheets by an environmentally friendly and facile one-step strategy. The as-synthesized products were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The magnetic and catalytic properties of the RGO/Co nanocomposites were systematically investigated. The results reveal that the RGO/Co nanocomposites have room-temperature ferromagnetic characteristics with Co particle size below single domain size. In addition, these RGO/Co nanocomposites also exhibit excellent catalytic activities toward the reduction of 4-nitrophenol by NaBH4 and enhanced electrocatalytic properties for the oxidation of glucose. It is believed that this eco-friendly and facile route can be extended to synthesize other metal nanostructures on RGO nanosheets with various functions, and provides a new opportunity for the application of graphene/metal nanocomposites.