Gold-graphene oxide nanohybrids: A review on their chemical catalysis

[Display omitted] •Combination of GO and AuNPs results in an unusual electronic properties and catalytic properties improvement.•GO act as an excellent electron acceptor for improvement in the dynamic transfer of an electron in a catalysis system.•AuNPs are utilized as an electrode surface to increase the surface area and rate of electron transfer in a catalyst system. The discovery of graphene oxide (GO) has motivated enormous applications of gold (Au) nanoparticles (NPs) in catalysis due to its ability to function as a suitable catalyst support material. This review discussed the routes for AuNPs-GO synthesis such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD), electrochemical, sol-gel and hydrothermal methods as it pertains to chemical synthesis. Accordingly, the CVD approach has the capability of producing a single layer of well-distributed AuNPs over GO to form a nanohybrid framework. Although the common application of AuNPs-GO nanohybrids has been in nanosensors, recent reports showed its aptitude in chemical synthesis through hydrogenation and oxidation reactions involving organic molecules. Therefore, due to the existing attributes of AuNPs catalysis, recommendations were suggested to guide its usage in the form of AuNPs-GO nanohybrids as a catalyst for specialty chemical production. This report should inspire future use of AuNPs-GO in the industrial catalytic synthesis of various pharmaceuticals and energy-based platform organic molecules.