Graphene oxide conversion into controllably carboxylated graphene layers via photoreduction process in the inert atmosphere

Abstract

The one-step method for graphene oxide (GO) simultaneous reduction and carboxylation via ultraviolet irradiation in the inert atmosphere has been reported. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) data revealed that the proposed approach allows to obtain reduced graphene oxide (rGO) films, containing up to 10 at.% of carboxyl groups. The carboxyl groups concentration can be tuned within the range of 3 to 10 at.% by controlling the oxidation degree of the irradiated GO via the preliminary low-temperature air heating. Furthermore, no carboxylation effect is observed in the case of irradiation of the completely reduced GO films. This coincides with our previous results, validating the proposed model of GO carboxylation based on photoinduced conversion of basal-plane hydroxyl groups and ketones into carboxyl ones. Despite a different degree of carboxylation, all the obtained samples demonstrate almost complete elimination of basal plane groups and restoration of the graphene flakes aromatic structure. This fact is emphasized by the sheet resistance measurements, demonstrating that the obtained C-xy graphene exhibits high electrical conductivity. As a net result, the material obtained by the presented method shows promising applications in the manufacturing of biosensor transducers owing to both its conductive nature and presence of carboxyl groups, playing the role of the anchoring points for biomolecules.     

Comparative Study of Conventional and Quasi-Freestanding Epitaxial Graphenes Grown on 4H-SiC Substrate

Semiconductors - The structural and some other characteristics of quasi-freestanding single-layer graphene obtained by annealing of the buffer layer in the flow of hydrogen are studied in...     

Controlling graphite oxide bandgap width by reduction in hydrogen

Transformation of the chemical composition and electron structure of graphite oxide (GO) nanolayers as a result of their annealing in hydrogen has been studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy using synchrotron radiation. It is established that both the chemical composition and bandgap width of GO can be controlled by varying the temperature and duration of heat treatment. By this means, the properties of GO nanolayers can be smoothly changed from dielectric to semiconductor.     

Core electron level structure in C<Subscript>60</Subscript>F<Subscript>18</Subscript> and C<Subscript>60</Subscript>F<Subscript>36</Subscript> fluorinated fullerenes

The structure of C1s and F1s core electron levels in C₆₀F₁₈ and C₆₀F₃₆ fluorinated fullerenes has been studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy using synchrotron radiation. It is established that C1s levels of carbon atoms not bound to fluorine in these compounds are shifted down by 1.0 and 1.6 eV relative to the C1s level in the usual C₆₀ fullerene, so that the binding energies of the core electron levels in C₆₀F₁₈ and C₆₀F₃₆ amount to E _b (C1s, C-C) = 285.7 and 286.3 eV, respectively. These values are characteristic and can be used for the identification of both homogeneous fluorinated fullerenes and combined materials comprising a mixture of various fluorinated fullerenes with each other and with different carbon-containing based materials.     

Formation of detonation diamond layers on silicon by the aerosol method

An aerosol method for deposition of nanometer-thick layers of detonation diamonds has been developed. Application of a suspension of deagglomerated diamond particles onto substrates from an aerosol provides deposition of small-size drops, with the ultrasonic spraying of the suspension precluding formation of secondary agglomerates of nanodiamond particles in the course of sample drying. The layers are promising for high-precision studies of the structure and chemical composition of the surface of isolated nanodiamond particles.