2-Aminoterephthalic acid-tailored Au/rGO nanocomposites via simultaneous reduction as high-performance anode materials for direct glycerol fuel cells

We present a facile one-pot simultaneous reduction strategy to synthesize highly active Au/rGO nanocomposites, using 2-aminoterephthalic acid (2-ATA) as a bifunctional anchoring agent. Characterizations confirm 2-ATA promotes uniform Au dispersion, prevents rGO restacking, and enhances metal-support electronic coupling by substantially reducing charge-transfer resistance. Consequently, the optimized Au 1 -2-ATA 20 -rGO electrocatalyst exhibits exceptional glycerol oxidation performance in alkaline media, delivering a forward peak current density of 40.83 mA cm −2 and mass activity of 0.74 A mg −1 , significantly outperforming pristine Au-rGO (14.44 mA cm −2 ). Moreover, it demonstrates anti-poisoning capabilities, vastly surpassing commercial Pt/CB and Pd/VC catalysts prone to rapid surface fouling. Furthermore, the catalyst demonstrates robust durability over 500 cycles, with post-electrolysis SEM confirming excellent structural preservation. Finally, chromatographic analysis reveals efficient C–C bond cleavage into valuable carboxylic acids, highlighting the effectiveness of this organic anchoring strategy for designing advanced alkaline fuel cell anodes.