Nanocomposite of electrodeposited Pd on FBOPHY-modified reduced graphene oxide for the electrocatalytic enhancement of formic acid oxidation

[Display omitted] •Dispersed Pd nanoparticles electrodeposited on FBOPHY modified GO support were prepared.•GO/FBOPHY structure induces unique structural and functional properties of those dispersed Pd active components.•The prepared catalysts provide high current density, stability, and electron transfer compared to the GO/Pd catalysts. The N-doped graphene oxide hybrid materials were constructed from (1E,2E)-1,2-bis((1H-pyrrol-2-yl)methylene)hydrazine (FBOPHY)-modified graphene oxide (GO) as a supporting material (GO-FBOPHY), and the electrodeposited Pd metal nanoparticles were loaded onto the prepared GO-xFBOPHY (x = wt%) support surfaces to prepare an enhanced electrocatalyst to catalyze the formic acid oxidation reaction (FAOR). The morphology of the prepared catalysts was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), while the phase and chemicals of these prepared catalysts were determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. The electrochemical measurements of electrocatalytic activity and stability for the catalysts were measured by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and chronoamperometry (CA), respectively. The outcomes showed that the electrodeposited ∼ 16.00 nm Pd nanoparticles were dispersed on the GO-FBOPHY surfaces for GO-2FBOPHY/Pd. The GO-2FBOPHY/Pd exhibits excellent catalytic performance for the FAOR, with great active surface area (ECSA = 117.2 m2/g), high specific activity (8.53 mA cm−2), long-term stability (0.113 mA cm−2 at potential 0.20 V) and fast electron transfer (charge-transfer resistance (1353 Ω). The GO-xFBOPHY/Pd expresses the FAOR as related to the oxidation reaction of GO/Pd by weakening the COads bond strength on Pd nanoparticles at a negative onset potential (0.60 V) rather than the oxidation of GO/Pd (0.66 V). These prepared catalysts could be capable of improving the anodic oxidation that can be used in direct formic acid fuel cells.