Synthesis of Fe ₃O ₄ and Pt nanoparticles on reduced graphene oxide and their use as a recyclable catalyst

A bifunctional Fe ₃O ₄-Pt/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) composite, i.e. Fe ₃O ₄ 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 Fe ₃O ₄-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 Fe ₃O ₄-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.