Insights into the hydrogen adsorption on deposited graphene oxide by zirconia and gold nanoparticles

Abstract

Here, to investigate the hydrogen storage capacity by carbonaceous compounds, graphene oxide (GO) was utilized. To evaluate the influence of metal oxide, GO was modified by zirconium oxide (ZrO2) through the refluxing method (GO-ZrO2). Laser ablation in liquid (LAL) was deployed to fabricate gold nanoparticles (Au NPs), which were then deposited on GO-ZrO2 (GO-ZrO2/Au) to assess the effect of metal NPs on hydrogen adsorption performance. Different analyses characterized the synthesized nanocomposites and the results suggest the successful immobilization of ZrO2 and Au NPs. The nanocomposites were deposited on a stainless steel mesh by electrophoretic deposition (EPD) and used in the electrochemical cell as working electrodes. Hydrogen storage capacity was assessed by electrochemical route in an alkaline medium under ambient conditions. The comparison of cyclic voltammetry (CV) revealed that increasing hydrogen charge is the courtesy of ZrO2 and Au NPs. The maximum hydrogen charge achieved by GO-ZrO2/Au was about 180 Cg-1. The best electrode stability was assessed and the results indicated that EPD was such an effective method that the electrode offered good stability under prolonged analysis. The results suggest that the synthesized nanocomposites can be considered as potent candidates in hydrogen production and storage.