A facile method to prepare reduced graphene oxide (M-rGO) nanosheets with enhanced electrochemical performance has been established by using Mg powder as the reductant. The structural, morphological and electrochemical properties of the M-rGO have been characterized. The prepared M-rGO possesses well-developed nano-porous structure and superior surface characteristics. Electrochemical analyses show that the M-rGO has a maximum specific capacitance of 577.4 F g−1 at the scan rate of 1 mV s−1, and an excellent rate performance of 324.9 F g−1 at 1 V s−1. The CV curves of M-rGO can keep rectangular in shape even at a scan rate of 500 mV s−1 without obvious distortion. Such outstanding electrochemical performances of M-rGO can be attributed to both the presence of nano-pores in M-rGO and the pseudocapacitance arising from residual oxygen-containing functional groups.

•A two step method for the preparation of Pd–Cu/RGO hybrids containing different amounts of Cu.•After the two step reaction, the catalysts form a bimetallic structure of a small Pd–Cu core and a thin Pd rich shell.•The samples have better catalytic property for alcohol electrocatalytic oxidation than many other Pd-based catalysts.Palladium–copper nanoparticles (Pd–Cu NPs) supported on reduced graphene oxide (RGO) with different Pd/Cu ratios (Pd–Cu/RGO) were prepared by a two step method. The Pd–Cu/RGO hybrids were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetric analyses. Cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry were used to investigate the electrochemical activities and stabilities of the Pd–Cu/RGO catalysts for the electro-oxidation of methanol and ethanol in alkaline media. The Pd–Cu/RGO catalysts exhibited high catalytic activities and good stabilities. This is because the catalysts have a bimetallic structure consisting of a small Pd–Cu core surrounded by a thin Pd-rich shell which improves the catalytic activities of the Pd–Cu/RGO hybrids. Thus they should be useful in direct methanol and ethanol fuel cells.