A New Ecofriendly Strategy to Fabricate Graphene-supported Nanoparticles with Zero Liquid Waste Emission

Abstract

The realization of scalable energy catalytic schemes requires the efficient production of active and durable electrocatalysts using a sustainable manufacturing protocol that does not release toxic liquid wastes. To drive renewable energy conversion, nanomaterials are typically used as electrocatalysts. Conventional nanoparticle fabrication methods require the use of high temperatures, ultrahigh vacuum chambers, or clean room facilities, which are expensive to acquire and maintain as well as not environmentally friendly. To overcomes these technological barriers, we introduce the utilization of an industrial laser system to make nanoelectrocatalysts in a continuous manner using a laser-assisted nanomaterial preparation (LANP) method without generating liquid wastes (Chem. Mater. 2019, 31, 8230-8238). This dry fabrication technology at room temperature and under ambient pressure facilitates the generation of uniformly dispersed precious and non-precious metal (NPM) nanoparticles supported on a few-layer graphene matrix. This multipurpose LANP methodology promotes the scalable deposition of binder-free functional nanoparticles onto flexible polymer films and rigid oxides at tuneable rates. The size and quantity of the transition metal nanoparticles on the conductive carbon surface can be regulated by adjusting the LANP parameters such as the laser power, the rastering speed, and the source thickness. A post-LANP laser treatment can further modulate the hydrophobicity and solvent accessibility of the LANP metal nanoparticles. Our results demonstrate that the surfactant-free nanoparticles produced using the LANP method can serve as scalable, active, and robust electrocatalysts for water splitting reactions in advanced electrolyzer technology.