Metal-organic interface engineering for coupling palladium nanocrystals over functionalized graphene as an advanced electrocatalyst of methanol and ethanol oxidation.

• The Pd/DPHE-GS was fabricated by the facile strategies. • The Pd/DPHE-GS displays impressive electrochemical MOR and EOR performance. • The exciting MOR and EOR behavior is owing to the metal-organic interface interaction. • This work presents an effective interface engineering to enhance electrocatalytic property. Adjusting the surface structures and electronic structures of metal nanocrystals (NCs) by the metal-organic interface interaction is an emerging strategy to enhance their electrocatalytic behavior. In this work, the d -phenylalanine-functionalized graphene (DPHE-GS) anchoring Pd NCs (denoted as Pd/DPHE-GS) was fabricated via the diazo-reaction followed by a simple chemical reduction. Owing to the metal-organic interface interaction between Pd NCs and DPHE, the size, distribution and electronic structures of Pd NCs on the surface of DPHE-GS can be adjusted. Therefore, the Pd/DPHE-GS shows the highest electrocatalytic activity and the most robust long-term durability and stability towards methanol and ethanol oxidation reaction (MOR and EOR) compared to the commercial Pd/C and other counterparts. This work presents an effective interface engineering strategy to enhance electrocatalytic property. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]