Ionic liquid-assisted one-step hydrothermal synthesis of TiO2-reduced graphene oxide composites

We have demonstrated a facile and efficient strategy for the fabrication of soluble reduced graphene oxide sheets (RGO) and the preparation of titanium oxide (TiO₂) nanoparticle-RGO composites using a modified one-step hydrothermal method. It was found that graphene oxide could be easily reduced under solvothermal conditions with ascorbic acid as reductant, with concomitant growth of TiO₂ particles on the RGO surface. The TiO₂-RGO composite has been thoroughly characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. Microscopy techniques (scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy) have been employed to probe the morphological characteristics as well as to investigate the exfoliation of RGO sheets. The TiO₂-RGO composite exhibited excellent photocatalysis of hydrogen evolution.      

Ag-TiO_2空心复合微球制备及其光催化性能

为了提高空心TiO2的光催化活性和拓展其对可见光的响应,以聚苯乙烯为模板合成TiO2空心微球,再通过KBH4还原AgNO3,制备了TiO2空心壳层表面载有Ag单质粒子的复合微球。利用SEM、TEM、XRD和EDS对Ag-TiO2空心微球的形貌结构和组成进行表征,并以有机染料罗丹明B(RhB)为目标降解物,研究该复合微球的光催化性能。在紫外光下,载银量为2%的Ag-TiO2复合微球2h内对RhB的降解率比同条件下空心TiO2提高23.8%;在可见光下,载银量为2%的Ag-TiO2复合微球在6h内对RhB的降解率比同条件下空心TiO2提高28.2%。结果表明,壳层表面载有适量Ag单质粒子的空心TiO2复合微球,其光催化活性和对可见光的响应显著高于纯空心TiO2微球。     

Facile, noncovalent decoration of graphene oxide sheets with nanocrystals

Facile dry decoration of graphene oxide sheets with aerosol Ag nanocrystals synthesized from an arc plasma source has been demonstrated using an electrostatic force directed assembly technique at room temperature. The Ag nanocrystal-graphene oxide hybrid structure was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and selected area diffraction. The ripening of Ag nanocrystals on a graphene oxide sheet was studied by consecutive TEM imaging of the same region on a sample after heating in Ar at elevated temperatures of 100 °C, 200 °C, and 300 °C. The average size of Ag nanocrystals increased and the number density decreased after the annealing process. In particular, migration and coalescence of Ag nanocrystals were observed at a temperature as low as 100 °C, suggesting a van der Waals interaction between the Ag nanocrystal and the graphene oxide sheet. The availability of affordable graphene-nanocrystal structures and their fundamental properties will open up new opportunities for nanoscience and nanotechnology and accelerate their applications. This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com     

Effect of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) on structural,optical, and dielectric properties of Mg(OH)2/rGO nanocomposites

In this paper, we report the synthesis of Mg(OH)₂ NPs and Mg(OH)₂–rGO nanocomposites (NCs) by microwave assisted co-precipitation method. The crystal phase, structural morphology and functional groups of the as-synthesized samples were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Raman spectroscopy was used to study the defects in the samples. Raman spectroscopy and the SEM results validate the growth of Mg(OH)₂ NPs on the rGO nanosheets. The chemical composition of the prepared samples was analyzed by EDAX. Optical properties of the as-synthesized samples were studied by UV–visible spectroscopy and the energy band gap was calculated by Tauc relation which shows a decrease in band gap with an increase in the amount of Graphene Oxide (GO) in the NCs. The dielectric properties were studied as a function of frequency over a range of 50 Hz to 5 MHz at room temperature. The value of dielectric constant decreases with an increase in frequency, this could be due to the existence of a polarization process at the border of the rGO sheets and Mg(OH)₂ NPs. The value of dielectric loss shows a decreasing trend with an increase in frequency whereas the larger value of AC conductivity in Mg(OH)₂–rGO NCs as compared to Mg(OH)₂ NPs approves the restoration of sp² network in the graphene sheets.     

SnO2-reduced graphene oxide nanoribbons as anodes for lithium ion batteries with enhanced cycling stability

A nanocomposite material of SnO2-reduced graphene oxide nanoribbons has been developed. In this composite, the reduced graphene oxide nanoribbons are uniformly coated by nanosized SnO2 that formed a thin layer of SnO2 on the surface. When used as anodes in lithium ion batteries, the composite shows outstanding electrochemical performance with the high reversible discharge capacity of 1,027 mAh/g at 0.1 A/g after 165 cycles and 640 mAh/g at 3.0 A/g after 160 cycles with current rates varying from 0.1 to 3.0 A/g and no capacity decay after 600 cycles compared to the second cycle at a current density of 1.0 A/g. The high reversible capacity, good rate performance and excellent cycling stability of the composite are due to the synergistic combination of electrically conductive reduced graphene oxide nanoribbons and SnO2, The method developed here is practical for the large-scale development of anode materials for lithium ion batteries.     

Ambient flash sintering of reduced graphene oxide/zirconia composites:Role of reduced graphene oxide

Fabrication of graphene/ceramic composites commonly requires a high-temperature sintering step with long times as well as a vacuum or inert atmosphere,which not only results in property degradation but also significant equipment complexity and manufacturing costs.In this work,the ambient flash sintering behavior of reduced graphene oxide/3 mol% yttria-stabilized ZrO₂(rGO/3 YSZ) composites utilizing rGO as both a composite component and a conductive additive is reported.When the sintering condition is carefully optimized,a dense and conductive composite can be achieved at room temperature and in the air within 20 s.The role of the rGO in the FS of the rGO/3 YSZ composites is elucidated,especially with the assistance of a separate investigation on the thermal runaway behavior of the rGO.The work suggests a promising fabrication route for rGO/ceramic composites where the vacuum and furnace are not needed,which is of interest in terms of simplifying the fabrication equipment for energy and cost savings.     

Spectroscopic studies of large sheets of graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide monolayers prepared by Langmuir-Blodgett technique

Graphene oxide (GO) sheets prepared by chemical exfoliation were spread at the air-water interface and transferred to silicon substrates by Langmuir-Blodgett technique as closely spaced monolayers of 20-40 μm size. Hydrazine exposure followed by annealing in vacuum and argon ambient results in the formation of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) monolayers, without significantly affecting the overall morphology of the sheets. The monolayer character of both GO and RGO sheets was ascertained by atomic force microscopy. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy supported by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed that the reduction process results in a significant decrease in oxygen functionalities, accompanied by a substantial decrease in the ratio of non-graphitic to graphitic (sp² bonded) carbon in the monolayers from 1.2 to 0.35. Raman spectra of GO and RGO monolayers have shown that during the reduction process, the G-band shifts by 8-12 cm^− 1 and the ratio of the intensities of D-band to G-band, I(D)/I(G) decreases from 1.3 ± 0.3 to 0.8 ± 0.2, which is in tune with the smaller non-graphitic carbon content of RGO monolayers. The significant decrease in I(D)/I(G) has been explained by assuming that substantial order is present in precursor GO monolayers as well as RGO monolayers obtained by solid state reduction.     

Robust magnetic and electromagnetic wave absorption performance of reduced graphene oxide loaded magnetic metal nanoparticle composites

With the increasing demand for microwave absorbing materials, to develop a microwave absorber with a simple synthesis process is of great significance to the field of protection. Herein we have successfully loaded iron-cobalt-nickel oxide (FeCoNiO_x) onto the as-prepared polydopamine-reduced graphene oxide (PDA-rGO) through a two-step process. The preparation method has mild reaction conditions without high temperature and pressure compared with the traditional method, which is conducive to large-scale production. Based on effectively combining dielectric loss and magnetic loss mechanism, the obtained material possesses excellent electromagnetic waves absorbing performance with the minimum RL value of ?36.28 dB. The results proved that the composites can be endowed with various microwave absorption effects by the adjustion of different component ratios. In addition, the microwave absorption mechanism was dicussed in detail, and we believe that the results of our research have certain guiding significance for preparation of efficient microwave absorbers.     

Microwave-assisted synthesis of Bi2Se3 /reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite as efficient catalytic counter electrodefordye-sensitized solar cell

Bi₂Se₃/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) composite was successfully synthesized by a facile microwave-assisted hydrothermal method and applied as a counter electrode for efficient dye-sensitized solar cells. By this means, the size and distribution of the formed Bi₂Se₃ nanoparticles onto a flexible graphene sheet were effectively controlled, which is crucial for achieving high electrocatalytic activity on I₃^? reduction. Mainly due to the homogeneous single-layer immobilization of Bi₂Se₃ nanoparticles on a graphene sheet with high density, BiG2 exhibited the highest catalytic activity and the lowest electrolyte diffusion resistance. Adye-sensitized solar cell with BiG2 as a counter electrode can yield 7.09% photoelectric conversion efficiency, which is comparable to that of the cell with a Pt-film counter electrode (6.23), exhibiting the application potential of BiG2 as a low cost non-Pt CE materials for DSSC.     

Reduced graphene oxide supersonically sprayed on wearable fabric and decorated with iron oxide for supercapacitor applications

We demonstrate the fabrication of wearable supercapacitor electrodes.The electrodes were applied to wearable fabric by supersonically spraying the fabric with reduced graphene oxide(rGO)followed by decoration with iron oxide(Fe2O3)nanoparticles via a hydrothermal process.The integration of iron oxide with rGO flakes on wearable fabric demonstrates immense potential for applications in high-energy-storage devices.The synergetic impact of the intermingled rGO flakes and Fe2O3 nanoparticles enhances the charge transport within the composite electrode,ultimately improving the overall electrochemical performance.Taking advantage of the porous nature of the fabric,electrolyte diffusion into the active rGO and Fe2O3 materials was significantly enhanced and subsequently increased the electrochemical interfacial activities.The effect of the Fe2O3 concentration on the overall electrochemical performance was investigated.The optimal composition yields a specific capacitance of 360 F g-1 at a current density of 1A g-1 with a capacitance retention rate of 89％after 8500 galvanostatic cycles,confirming the long-term stability of the Fe2O3/rGO fabric electrode.     

低温一步制备氧化石墨烯及微波还原研究

以天然鳞片石墨为原料,通过低温一步氧化制备氧化石墨烯,经微波热还原得到低缺陷的还原氧化石墨烯。讨论了低温氧化过程中氧化剂用量、氧化时间对氧化石墨烯层间距、氧化程度的影响。结果表明:在高锰酸钾与天然鳞片石墨的质量比为1∶3,氧化温度为0℃,氧化时间为48h的条件下,制备出碳氧原子比为1.98、高C—O结构、低缺陷结构( I D∶ I G=0.63)的氧化石墨烯,避免了Hummers制备过程中由于CO 2的形成导致六元环断裂以及碳原子的缺失而使得氧化石墨烯的缺陷增加;经微波热还原后,得到的还原氧化石墨烯的两点平均缺陷距离 L D=12nm,缺陷密度 n D=2.21×10 11 cm -2 , I D∶ I G仅为0.85(Γ G=32.1cm -1 ),制备出低缺陷的还原氧化石墨烯。     

氧化石墨烯的制备及其对NH3的敏感特性研究

石墨烯独特的原子结构赋予其电学、热学、力学等方面的优异性能,在诸多领域具有广泛的应用。氧化石墨烯不仅具有石墨烯结构特点,而且具有大量的含氧官能团,增强了对气体的吸附能力,更适合应用于气敏传感器。通过改进的Hummer方法制备了片状多层氧化石墨烯,并对不同浓度的NH3进行敏感特性测试。结果表明氧化石墨烯对NH3具有良好的响应,在(1.5～3.5)×10-4范围内呈线性关系。     

溶剂热法制备Fe_3O_4/氧化石墨烯复合材料及其性能研究

以氧化石墨和二茂铁为原料,采用溶剂热法原位一步合成了Fe3O4/还原氧化石墨烯(Fe3O4/RGO)复合物,通过X射线衍射(XRD)、傅里叶变换红外光谱(FT-IR)、扫描电镜(SEM)、透射电镜(TEM)、振动样品磁强计(VSM)、循环伏安测试等手段对复合材料的形貌、结构、磁性能和电化学性能进行了表征。结果表明,该方法具有简单、可控的优点,通过调变前驱物中氧化石墨和二茂铁的比例,可以控制复合物中Fe3O4纳米粒子的负载量。所制备Fe3O4/RGO复合材料由平均粒径约20nm的Fe3O4纳米颗粒高度分散在还原氧化石墨烯片层上组成,具有较好的超顺磁性,电化学稳定性和良好的倍率性能。     

氧化石墨烯/密胺树脂复合材料的制备及其热性能研究

首先采用Hummers法制备出氧化石墨烯(GO),然后与三聚氰胺、甲醛进行原位聚合,制备出GO/密胺树脂(MF)复合材料,并用傅里叶红外光谱仪(FT-IR)、原子力显微镜(AFM)、扫描电镜(SEM)分析和观察了氧化石墨烯及复合材料的分子结构及形貌,通过导热系数测试仪、热重分析仪(TG)对复合材料的热性能进行了表征。研究发现,随着氧化石墨烯(GO)添加量的增加,复合材料导热系数增加先快后慢,当GO添加量为0.84%时,复合材料导热系数提高32.0%,GO的添加提高复合材料低温下的热稳定性。     

Synthesis and characterization of N-[4-(chlorocarbonyl)phenyl]maleimide functionalized graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide

Functionalization of graphene oxide leads improvement in thermal stability and flame retardancy. Acid chloride terminated N-[4-(chlorocarbonyl)phenyl]maleimide (Cl-CPMI) was synthesized to decorate hydroxyl group in graphene oxide (GEO) and glycine-reduced GEO (RGEO). Structural characterization of the materials was performed using FTIR, ¹³C NMR and Raman spectroscopic methods. Interlayer distance and surface morphology were also studied using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopic methods, respectively. The absence of the band for C-Cl and shortening of the O-H band in the FTIR and peak in ¹³C NMR spectra confirm the functionalization of alcoholic group on the graphitic plane with Cl-CPMI. The ratio, I_D/I_G computed from Raman study, the nature of XRD pattern and interlayer distance between the adjacent graphitic layers were not affected by the functionalization of GEO and RGEO using Cl-CPMI. The tagging of maleimide unit with the graphitic plane was also confirmed by the cloudy appearance in the SEM images.     

Synthesis of transition metal-doped tungsten oxide nanostructures and their optical properties

In the present work, we report the solvothermal synthesis of transition metal-doped tungsten oxide nanostructures and their optical properties. Uniform, well-defined Co-doped tungsten oxide nanoblocks consisting of ultrathin nanowires, lenticular bundled Zn-doped tungsten oxide nanorods, and plate-shaped or flower-like Fe-doped tungsten oxide particles have been successfully prepared with the addition of different dopants. The doping of Co and Zn ions may prohibit the oriented growth of the tungsten oxide nanowires and favor their self-assembly, leading to the formation of bundled nanoblocks and nanorods. The Fe-doped tungsten oxide flowers may result from the ordered arrangement of single nanoplates. The band gaps of undoped, Fe-, Zn-, and Co-doped tungsten oxides are found to be 2.92, 2.78, 2.62, and 2.52 eV, respectively.     

氧化石墨烯与甲基丙烯酸和烯丙基磺酸钠共聚物的制备与性能

通过氧化和超声波作用制备了氧化石墨烯(GO)纳米相片层分散液,再与甲基丙烯酸(MAA)和烯丙基磺酸钠(SAS)进行自由基共聚反应制备了氧化石墨烯与甲基丙烯酸和烯丙基磺酸钠的共聚物P(GOMAA-SAS),各组分的质量比为m(MAA)∶m(SAS)∶m(GO)=13∶6∶1。FT-IR检测结果表明GO与单体之间发生了共聚反应,AFM检测结果表明共聚物中GO片层的厚度为4 nm、长宽在5~10 nm范围。应用结果表明用10%的P(GO-MAA-SAS)鞣制皮革的收缩温度为84℃,GO的鞣制作用与GO的纳米效应和与胶原纤维的键合作用及其二者之间的协同作用有关,研究结果 GO纳米片层可以鞣制皮革并且GO的分散状态是影响鞣制效果的主要因素。     

Preparation of large-sized graphene from needle coke and the adsorption for malachite green with its graphene oxide

With needle coke (NC) as an initial material, large-sized graphene was successfully prepared through an oxidation–exfoliation–thermal reduction process. The prepared graphene was characterized by SEM, TEM, AFM, FTIR, XRD, Raman, and XPS, respectively. Results showed that the morphology of graphene from NC was different from that of natural graphite although the spectroscopic properties of graphene from NC are very similar to those from natural graphite. The lateral size of the prepared graphene is concentrated in 3–8?µm, which was considerably larger than that of natural graphite, multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and stacked graphene nanofibers (SGNFs). In addition, the adsorption capacity of graphene oxide from NC for malachite green was investigated to confirm the size of graphene indirectly. The equilibrium adsorption capacity of 437.7?mg/g for malachite green was considerably higher than that from natural graphite whose adsorption capacity was 209.5?mg/g under identical conditions. All results confirm that NC is a better alternative for the preparation of graphene than natural graphite.     

The effect of exfoliation and plasma application on the properties of continuous graphene oxide fiber

This study has been performed on continuous graphene oxide fiber produced by different production parameters which has very large potential application areas such as electronic/smart textiles, sensors, energy. In this study, three different graphene oxide dispersion preparation methods; namely, Modified Hummers, Modified Hummers on exfoliated graphite and Modified Hummers with plasma application; have been used to prepare coagulated continuous graphene oxide fibers. The effect of production parameters on properties of continuous graphene oxide fibers have been measured by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), X-Ray Photoelectron Microscopy (XPS), tensile tester, electrical conductivity device. It was observed that exfoliation process results with decrease of fiber Tex count, fiber surface roughness, oxygen functional groups and an increase of breaking strength and electrical conductivity, while plasma application results to an increase of surface roughness of fiber, oxygen functional groups and decrease of breaking strength of fiber.