Synthesis of Fe₃O₄ and Pt nanoparticles on reduced graphene oxide and their use as a recyclable catalyst

A bifunctional Fe₃O₄-Pt/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) composite, i.e. Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles (∼4.8 nm in size) and Pt nanoparticles (∼5 nm in size) loaded on a rGO surface, has been synthesized. It shows great catalytic performance for the reduction of methylene blue. Recycling of the composite can be achieved by simply applying an external magnetic field. In addition, the Fe₃O₄-Pt/rGO composite exhibits a higher catalytic activity and selectivity for aqueous-phase aerobic oxidation of benzyl alcohol than does the FeO_x-Pt on carbon nanotubes (i.e. FeO_x-Pt/CNT composite). Moreover, the approach for the synthesis of Fe₃O₄-Pt/rGO composite is simple, and can be widely employed to produce other rGO-based composites with special properties. Our work indicates that the rGO-based bifunctional composite has great potential for practical applications in various fields, such as catalytic reaction, electrochemical sensing, clean energy, etc. © 2012 The Royal Society of Chemistry.