Controlling the properties of Graphene Oxide
Abstract
Graphene oxide is a nano-scale material that has the potential to revolutionize our existing electronic and sensor technology due to its role as a precursor for the cost-effective and mass production of graphene-based materials. What makes graphene oxide attractive is that it can be reduced to graphene-like sheets by removing the oxygen groups with the recovery of a conjugated structure. Hydrazine has been the standard reducing agent for graphene oxide however previous studies have shown that the use of vitamin C is a viable alternative with some unique advantages. The recovery of the conjugated network of the graphitic lattice results in the recovery of the electrical conductivity of graphene. Our objective was to determine if vitamin C can be used to control the oxidation level and thus the properties of graphene oxide. Vitamin C was used to titrate graphene oxide. At each point in the titration, conductivity and redshift was monitored in order to follow the formation of reduced graphene oxide.
Controlling the properties of Graphene Oxide
Graphene oxide is a nano-scale material that has the potential to revolutionize our existing electronic and sensor technology due to its role as a precursor for the cost-effective and mass production of graphene-based materials. What makes graphene oxide attractive is that it can be reduced to graphene-like sheets by removing the oxygen groups with the recovery of a conjugated structure. Hydrazine has been the standard reducing agent for graphene oxide however previous studies have shown that the use of vitamin C is a viable alternative with some unique advantages. The recovery of the conjugated network of the graphitic lattice results in the recovery of the electrical conductivity of graphene. Our objective was to determine if vitamin C can be used to control the oxidation level and thus the properties of graphene oxide. Vitamin C was used to titrate graphene oxide. At each point in the titration, conductivity and redshift was monitored in order to follow the formation of reduced graphene oxide.