One-Pot, Green, Rapid Synthesis of Flowerlike Gold Nanoparticles/Reduced Graphene Oxide Composite with Regenerated Silk Fibroin As Efficient Oxygen Reduction Electrocatalysts

Flowerlike gold nanoparticles (Au NPs)/reduced graphene oxide (RGO) composites were fabricated by a facile, one-pot, environmentally friendly method in the presence of regenerated silk fibroin (RSF). The influences of reaction time, temperature, and HAuCl4: RGO ratio on the morphology of Au NPs loaded on RGO sheets were discussed and a tentative mechanism for the formation of flowerlike Au NPs/RGO composite was proposed. In addition, the flowerlike Au NPs/RGO composite showed superior catalytic performance for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) to Au/RGO composites with other morphologies. Our work provides an alternative facile and green approach to synthesize functional metal/RGO composites.