1 research outputs found
Mechanically-Assisted Electrochemical Production of Graphene Oxide
Graphene
oxide (GO) is promising for a variety of applications
due to its excellent dispersibility and processability. However, current
chemical oxidation routes have several drawbacks, including the use
of explosive oxidizing agents, residual metal ions contaminations,
and the creation of irreparable hole defects on the GO sheet. The
electrochemical exfoliation and oxidation of graphite is a potentially
greener approach without the need for extensive purification steps.
Most reported electrochemical methods employ a single preformed bulk
graphite as electrode, which limits their scalability, reproducibility,
and degree of oxidation. Herein, we reported a novel mechanically
assisted electrochemical method to produce graphene oxide directly
from graphite flakes. The electrochemically derived graphene oxide
(EGO) shows a good degree of oxidation but with less physical defects
than chemically derived graphene oxide (CGO). EGO has good dispersibility
in water and various solvents and, in particular, displays better
long-term stability in ethanol when compared with CGO. Notably, unlike
conventional CGO, EGO can undergo facile thermal conversion at 200
°C in air to conductive thermally processed EGO, which is highly
desirable for heat/chemical-sensitive applications