Tuning the nucleophilic attack and the reductive action of glycine on graphene oxide under basic medium

Amino acids are important compounds for GO functionalization because they can improve GO properties for many applications ranging from biomedicine to depollution. However, amino acids can act as nucleophiles or as reducing agents for GO functionalization or reduction, respectively. Hence, we systematically studied the GO functionalization/reduction using glycine as a model amino acid under basic conditions at room temperature. Attenuated total reflectance–Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy were used to characterize the modified GO with glycine. We found that low glycine concentrations produced an epoxide ring opening reaction, whereas an increase in glycine concentration led to GO reduction. The basic medium allowed to conserve the carboxylic acid groups, whereas the GO reduction mechanism was governed by the partial hydrolysis of epoxide groups and the subsequent reduction of carboxylic acids to carbonyls. This article opens up the opportunity to study and control the conditions in which different amino acids could be used for either GO functionalization or GO reduction.     

氮掺杂石墨烯的p型场效应及其精细调控

Functionalized graphene has attracted significant interest over the past decade due to its unique physical properties and potential applications. Graphene oxide (GO), a readily scaled-up product, is a basic material for further functionalization. Using reductive processes, highly conductive reduced graphene oxide (RGO) can be obtained, which exhibits electrical and optical properties analogous to those of graphene. Moreover, due to the presence of oxygen-containing functional groups, its chemical reactivity and electronic properties can be easily tailored by chemical doping with nitrogen. However, developing strategies for doping graphene is challenging and the fundamental roles of the doping atom configuration and its environment on the resulting properties of graphene remain poorly understood. These properties are important for electrical and catalytic applications of graphene. Thus, synthesizing specific configurations of nitrogen-doped graphene and consequently investigating the electrical and catalytic properties of the product is imperative. Herein, we demonstrate an approach that allows for successful production of nitrogen-functionalized RGO using Schiff base condensation between the amino groups in an o-aryl diamine compound and the carbonyl groups in GO. Three typical nitrogen-containing species including o-phenylenediamine (OPD), 2, 3-diaminopyridine (23DAP), and bis(trifluoromethyl)-1, 2-diaminobenzene (BTFMDAB) were used for functionalizing the GO samples, and the corresponding RGO derivatives (OPD-RGO, 23DAP-RGO, and BTF-RGO) were obtained by thermal annealing. Pyrazine nitrogen was successfully introduced into graphitic framework, as confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra, thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), Raman, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Field-effect transistors (FETs) based on the BTF-RGO exhibited hole-dominated ambipolar field-effect behavior with a Dirac point at a 9 V gate voltage and hole mobilities up to 2.5 times that of RGO. The weak p-type doping effect originated from the strongly electron-withdrawing trifluoromethyl groups. By studying the OPD-RGO and 23DAP-RGO-based FETs, containing pyrazine nitrogen and mixed pyrazine/pyridine nitrogen, respectively, we found that pyrazine nitrogen provided weak n-type doping effects, while pyridine nitrogen exhibited weak p-type doping effects due to its electron-withdrawing ability. Enhanced p-type doping effect was accompanied by the introduction of groups with stronger electron-withdrawing ability into the graphitic framework. Impressively, pyridine nitrogen in the pyrazine nitrogen-doped RGO yielded a weak p-type doped graphene due to the electron-withdrawing effect of the pyridine nitrogen. Nitrogen-doped graphene can be finely tuned from weak n-type to weak p-type doping by adjusting the electron-withdrawing ability of o-aryl diamine compounds. This study demonstrates the effect of nitrogen configuration and its surrounding environment on the electrical properties of RGOs, providing additional possible applications.     

Localized Plasmon‐Stimulated Nanochemistry of Graphene Oxide on a SERS Substrate

In recent years, there has been remarkable progress in the reduction and functionalization of graphene oxide (GO) using nanoparticles and high‐energy optical photons. Most of these reactions are carried out in solutions, whereas the local modification of GO on solid substrates still remains a challenge. In this work, we demonstrate the local reduction of GO and its further destruction, leading to the synthesis of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) stimulated by localized surface plasmons (LSPs). The reduction of GO and the synthesis of PAHs have been carried out on a substrate designed for surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). We found that LSPs initiate the destruction of water molecules entrapped in the nanogaps between silver nanoparticles after the deposition of GO from the aqueous suspension. It was demonstrated that OH radicals, as a result of water decomposition, initiate the reduction of GO, leading to the synthesis of PAHs. The reactions have been observed in real time by using SERS. The measurement of current–voltage (I–V) characteristics through conductive atomic force microscopy (AFM), recorded in an LSP‐stimulated area, have shown the increased electrical conductivity (more than ten times) compared with the conductivity of GO. The synthesis of new compounds in the LSP‐stimulated area has been confirmed by the appearance of new peaks in the Raman spectra and nonlinear I–V characteristics typical for PAHs. We show that the used method allows the local modification of electrical properties of GO and controlled nanopattering of organic compounds on the surface.     

Efficient reduction of graphene oxide catalyzed by copper

We report that copper thin films deposited on top of graphene oxide (GO) serve as an effective catalyst to reduce GO sheets in a diluted hydrogen environment at high temperature. The reduced GO (rGO) sheets exhibit higher effective field-effect hole mobility, up to 80 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1), and lower sheet resistance (13 kΩ □(-1)) compared with those reduced by reported methods such as hydrazine and thermal annealing. Raman and XPS characterizations are addressed to study the reduction mechanism on graphene oxide underneath copper thin films. The level of reduction in rGO sheets is examined by Raman spectroscopy and it is well correlated with hole mobility values. The conductivity enhancement is attributed to the growth of the graphitic domain size. This method is not only suitable for reduction of single GO sheets but also applicable to lower the sheet resistance of Langmuir-Blodgett assembled GO films.     

Synergistic effect of UV and l-ascorbic acid on the reduction of graphene oxide: Reduction kinetics and quantum chemical simulations

A photochemical strategy for eco-friendly reduction of graphene oxide (GO) was developed by using l-ascorbic acid (L-AA) as a photosensitive reducing agent. L-AA was excited and oxidized with deprotonation by UV irradiation (254 nm) and the proton coupled electron transfer induces chemical reduction of GO. This photochemical process is quite eco-friendly and scalable, and the reduction kinetics and degree of GO were highly enhanced. To understand the improved reduction power by UV light, the redox properties of L-AA in the ground and excited states were characterized by using quantum chemical simulations. Based on the results, we clearly demonstrated the mechanism how UV irradiation considerably enhances the reducing power of L-AA for the reduction of GO.     

Electrochemical reduction of CO2 to CO using graphene oxide/carbon nanotube electrode in ionic liquid/acetonitrile system

Electrochemical reduction of CO₂ to CO is an interesting topic. In this work, we prepared metal-free electrodes by depositing graphene oxide (GO), multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT), and GO/MWCNT composites on carbon paper (CP) using electrophoretic deposition (EPD) method. The electrodes were characterized by different methods, such as X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The electrochemical reduction of CO₂ to CO was conducted on the electrodes in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([Bmim]BF₄)/acetonitrile (MeCN) electrolyte, and the composition of the electrolyte influenced the reaction significantly. It was demonstrated that GO/MWCNT-CP electrode was very effective for the reaction in IL (90 wt%)/MeCN binary mixture, the Faradaic efficiency of CO and current density were even higher than those on Au and Ag electrodes in the same electrolyte.     

氧化石墨烯在氧化锌衬底上的电化学还原及其光电性能

采用阳极电泳法,在氧化锌(ZnO)衬底上沉积氧化石墨烯(GO)以形成GO-ZnO双层复合膜;采用阴极恒电位法,对复合膜上的GO进行还原。对不同还原时间的GO,通过X射线光电子能谱(XPS),傅里叶变换红外(FTIR)光谱,场发射扫描电子显微镜(FESEM)等手段对其结构变化进行表征,采用紫外-可见(UV-Vis)分光光度法和电化学测试手段对其能级演变进行考察,并对两者的对应关系进行了讨论。研究发现,当GO膜达到最大还原态后,随还原时间增加还会出现进一步的结构转变,并最终碎裂生成边缘羧基增多的小尺寸GO。GO能隙均减小至可见光范围,其能级位置及半导体极性也产生了不同的改变。由对复合膜的光电化学测试可见,除1800 s GO能级不再与ZnO匹配外,60 s到600 s GO-ZnO复合膜均可作为阳极光电极进行太阳光电转换。对光电性能差异的讨论则可得,GO膜碎裂造成叠层形貌向无序形貌的转变有利于光电转换性能的提升。     

The Effect of Temperature Conditions During Graphene Oxide Synthesis on Humidity Dependence of Conductivity in Thermally Reduced Graphene Oxide

In this work, we study the effect of temperature conditions during graphene oxide (OG) synthesis on the conductivity dependence viewed as a function of ambient humidity after thermal reduction of initial GO. GO samples obtained at various temperatures by the modified Hummers’ method were found to contain different quantitative ratios of oxide groups. The relative content of carboxyl groups in the initial GO suspension is shown to affect the humidity dependence of conductivity after GO reduction 150 °С. A humidity dependence mechanism is proposed to explain the obtained characteristics.     

The Route to Functional Graphene Oxide

We report on an easy‐to‐use, successful, and reproducible route to synthesize functionalized graphite oxide (GO) and its conversion to graphene‐like materials through chemical or thermal reduction of GO. Graphite oxide containing hydroxyl, epoxy, carbonyl, and carboxyl groups loses mainly hydroxyl and epoxy groups during reduction, whereas carboxyl species remain untouched. The interaction of functionalized graphene with fluorescent methylene blue (MB) is investigated and compared to graphite, fully oxidized GO, as well as thermally and chemically reduced GO. Optical absorption and emission spectra of the composites indicate a clear preference for MB interaction with the GO derivatives containing a large number of functional groups (GO and chemically reduced GO), whereas graphite and thermally reduced GO only incorporate a few MB molecules. These findings are consistent with thermogravimetric, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopic, and Raman data recorded at every stage of preparation. The optical data also indicate concentration‐dependent aggregation of MB on the GO surface leading to stable MB dimers and trimers. The MB dimers are responsible for fluorescence quenching, which can be controlled by varying the pH value.     

Facile and green solvothermal synthesis of palladium nanoparticle-nanodiamond-graphene oxide material with improved bifunctional catalytic properties

We developed a selective solvothermal synthesis of palladium nanoparticles on nanodiamond (ND)–graphene oxide (GO) hybrid material in solution. After the GO and ND materials have been added in PdCl₂ solution, the spontaneous redox reaction between the ND–GO and PdCl₂ led to the creation of nanohybrid Pd@ND@GO material. The resulting Pd@ND@GO material was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometry, scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), and atomic absorption spectrometry methods. The Pd@ND@GO material has been used for the first time as a catalyst for the reduction for 2-nitrophenol and the degradation of methylene blue in the presence of NaBH₄. GO plays the role of 2D support material for Pd nanoparticles, while NDs act as a nanospacer for partly preventing the re-stacking of the GO. The Pd@ND@GO material can lead to high catalytic activity for the reduction reaction of 2-nitrophenol and degradation of methylene blue with 100% conversion within ~15 s for these two reactions even when the content of Pd in it is as low as 4.6 wt%.     

Effect of polycarbonate structure and reduction time on graphene oxide dispersion

Polycarbonate (PC)/graphene oxide (GO) composites with different GO reduction time and PC types were prepared by using a twin screw extruder at 260 °C after solution mixing with chloroform. The chemical reaction degree of PC/GO composites with GO reduction time was confirmed by C–H stretching peak at 3000 cm ^?1, and the chemical reaction degree decreased with GO reduction time. The slope for storage (G′) versus loss (G″) modulus plot decreases with an increase in heterogeneous property of the polymer melts. So we can check the GO dispersion of the PC/GO composites using by the slop for G′–G″ plot. According to the G′–G″ slopes for PC/GO composite with GO reduction time, GO was well dispersed within PC matrix when the reduction time decreased. It was re‐confirmed by atomic force microscope (AFM) results. Based on the degradation temperature by Thermogravimetric analysis, G′–G″ slopes, and surface roughness by AFM, the branched PC was better than linear PC for the GO dispersion within PC matrix. The fact was also confirmed by tensile test results that the Young's modulus increased with the improvement of GO dispersion. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Investigation of the Thermal Stability of the Carbon Framework of Graphene Oxide

In this study, we use our recently prepared graphene oxide (GO) with an almost intact σ‐framework of carbon atoms (ai‐GO) to probe the thermal stability of the carbon framework for the first time. Ai‐GO exhibits few defects because CO₂ formation is prevented during synthesis. Ai‐GO was thermally treated before chemical reduction and the resulting defect density in graphene was subsequently determined by statistical Raman microscopy. Surprisingly, the carbon framework of ai‐GO is stable in thin films up to 100 °C. Furthermore, we find evidence for an increase in the quality of ai‐GO upon annealing at 50 °C before reduction. The carbon framework of GO prepared according to the popular Hummers’ method (GO‐c) appears to be less stable and decomposition starts at 50 °C, which is qualitatively indicated by CO₂‐trapping experiments in μm‐thin films. Information about the stability of GO is important for storing, processing, and using GO in many applications.     

Cobalt Phthalocyanine Immobilized on Graphene Oxide: An Efficient Visible‐Active Catalyst for the Photoreduction of Carbon Dioxide

New graphene oxide (GO)‐tethered–Co^II phthalocyanine complex [CoPc–GO] was synthesized by a stepwise procedure and demonstrated to be an efficient, cost‐effective and recyclable photocatalyst for the reduction of carbon dioxide to produce methanol as the main product. The developed GO‐immobilized CoPc was characterized by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), FTIR, XPS, Raman, diffusion reflection UV/Vis spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP‐AES), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). FTIR, XPS, Raman, UV/Vis and ICP‐AES along with elemental analysis data showed that Co^II–Pc complex was successfully grafted on GO. The prepared catalyst was used for the photocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide by using water as a solvent and triethylamine as the sacrificial donor. Methanol was obtained as the major reaction product along with the formation of minor amount of CO (0.82 %). It was found that GO‐grafted CoPc exhibited higher photocatalytic activity than homogeneous CoPc, as well as GO, and showed good recoverability without significant leaching during the reaction. Quantitative determination of methanol was done by GC flame‐ionization detector (FID), and verification of product was done by NMR spectroscopy. The yield of methanol after 48 h of reaction by using GO–CoPc catalyst in the presence of sacrificial donor triethylamine was found to be 3781.8881 μmol g^?1 cat., and the conversion rate was found to be 78.7893 μmol g^?1cat. h^?1. After the photoreduction experiment, the catalyst was easily recovered by filtration and reused for the subsequent recycling experiment without significant change in the catalytic efficiency.     

普鲁士蓝纳米修饰电极的制备及表征

采用激光加热拉伸的方法制备铂纳米电极,并通过交流电刻蚀的方法制备纳米孔电极,在这两种电极上可通过电化学方法原位合成单颗普鲁士蓝微晶. 结果表明,普鲁士蓝微晶在纳米微孔电极上的机械附着强度增强. 这种方法可用于制备纳米修饰电极或研究功能微晶体材料的电化学性质.     

Determination of Explosives Using Electrochemically Reduced Graphene

A graphene‐based electrochemical sensing platform for sensitive determination of explosive nitroaromatic compounds (NACs) was constructed by means of electrochemical reduction of graphene oxide (GO) on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The electrochemically reduced graphene (ER‐GO) adhered strongly onto the GCE surface with a wrinkled morphology that showed a large active surface area. 2,4‐Dinitrotoluene (2,4‐DNT), as a model analyte, was detected by using stripping voltammetry, which gave a low detection limit of 42 nmol L⁻¹ (signal‐to‐noise ratio=3) and a wide linear range from 5.49×10⁻⁷ to 1.1×10⁻⁵ M . Further characterizations by electrochemistry, IR, and Raman spectra confirmed that the greatly improved electrochemical reduction signal of DNT on the ER‐GO‐modified GC electrode could be ascribed to the excellent electrocatalytic activity and high surface‐area‐to‐volume ratio of graphene, and the strong π–π stacking interactions between 2,4‐DNT and the graphene surface. Other explosive nitroaromatic compounds including 1,3‐dinitrobenzene (1,3‐DNB), 2,4,6‐trinitrotoluene (TNT), and 1,3,5‐trinitrobenzene (TNB) could also be detected on the ER‐GO‐modified GC electrode at the nM level. Experimental results showed that electrochemical reduction of GO on the GC electrode was a fast, simple, and controllable method for the construction of a graphene‐modified electrode for sensing NACs and other sensing applications.     

Surface and Interface Engineering of Graphene Oxide Films by Controllable Photoreduction

We report herein the engineering of the surface/interface properties of graphene oxide (GO) films by controllable photoreduction treatment. In our recent works, typical photoreduction processes, including femtosecond laser direct writing (FsLDW), laser holographic lithography, and controllable UV irradiation, have been employed to make conductive reduced graphene oxide (RGO) microcircuits, hierarchical RGO micro‐nanostructures with both superhydrophobicity and structural color, as well as moisture‐responsive GO/RGO bilayer structures. Compared with other reduction protocols, for instance, chemical reduction and thermal annealing, the photoreduction strategy shows distinct advantages, such as mask‐free patterning, chemical‐free modification, controllable reduction degree, and environmentally friendly processing. These works indicate that the surface and interface engineering of GO through controllable photoreduction of GO holds great promise for the development of various graphene‐based microdevices.     

电泳沉积制备氧化石墨烯-银电极及其氧还原催化性能

通过在1-甲基-2-吡咯烷酮（NMP）中超声剥离氧化石墨制备出稳定的氧化石墨烯（GO）分散液,添加AgNO₃使氧化石墨烯吸附Ag+而带正电荷。采用电泳沉积法使GO沉积到阴极的玻璃碳电极上,Ag+被电化学还原为单质银,均匀的分散在GO片层当中。通过AFM、SEM、Raman、XRD及元素面扫分析对制备电极的形貌、结构进行表征。在碱性环境中进行氧还原测试,结果表明GO+Ag电极的氧还原起始电位较玻璃碳电极最大正移228mV,还原电流密度最大为7.564mA·cm^-2,是玻璃碳电极的3.4倍。通过不同转速下的线性扫描曲线绘制Koutechy-Levich图,计算氧还原反应的电子转移数为3.3。     

电化学法制备部分还原氧化石墨烯薄膜及其光电性能

提供了一种快速制备氧化石墨烯(GO)薄膜的方法, 并通过调节GO薄膜的含氧量来调控其能级结构.采用阳极电泳及阴极电化学还原联用的方法在F掺杂SnO₂(FTO)导电玻璃上制备出不同层数及含氧量的GO薄膜, 并通过扫描电镜(SEM)、X射线衍射(XRD)、紫外可见(UV-Vis)光谱、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)、拉曼光谱及电化学分析对样品进行表征. 用20-350 s 不同时间电泳沉积得到层数约为77-570层的GO薄膜. 经过不同时间阴极还原的GO薄膜的禁带宽度为1.0-2.7 eV, 其导带位置及费米能级也随之改变. GO作为p型半导体, 与FTO导电膜之间会形成p-n 结, 在光强为100 mW·cm^-2的模拟太阳光照射下, 电泳300 s 且电化学还原120 s时GO薄膜阳极光电流密度达到5.25×10^-8 A·cm^-2.     

N,P‐Codoped Carbon Networks as Efficient Metal‐free Bifunctional Catalysts for Oxygen Reduction and Hydrogen Evolution Reactions

The high cost and scarcity of noble metal catalysts, such as Pt, have hindered the hydrogen production from electrochemical water splitting, the oxygen reduction in fuel cells and batteries. Herein, we developed a simple template‐free approach to three‐dimensional porous carbon networks codoped with nitrogen and phosphorus by pyrolysis of a supermolecular aggregate of self‐assembled melamine, phytic acid, and graphene oxide (MPSA/GO). The pyrolyzed MPSA/GO acted as the first metal‐free bifunctional catalyst with high activities for both oxygen reduction and hydrogen evolution. Zn–air batteries with the pyrolyzed MPSA/GO air electrode showed a high peak power density (310 W g^?1) and an excellent durability. Thus, the pyrolyzed MPSA/GO is a promising bifunctional catalyst for renewable energy technologies, particularly regenerative fuel cells.     

电化学还原氧化石墨烯用于四环素电催化检测

四环素(TTC)因其广泛的抗菌性和低生产成本等特点而成为应用最广泛的兽医药物. TTC的大量使用不可避免地导致其进入地表水、地下水和污水处理厂.迄今,已有许多方法用于TTC检测,包括免疫测定法、微生物检测法和化学-物理法等.然而,这些方法费用高,耗时长或需要复杂的样品预处理过程,不适合现场测量或常规分析.电化学分析法具有操作简单、成本低廉、选择性和灵敏度较高、易实现在线检测等特点,在检测领域具有重要优势.石墨烯在电化学传感器领域表现出优越的应用性能,但有关石墨烯材料应用于电分析和电催化方面的报道仍然有限.石墨烯的前驱体氧化石墨烯(GO)片层底面上具有各种类型的含氧官能团和层状边缘,导致其绝缘并具有很多缺陷,使GO包含了sp2和sp3杂化碳原子,为GO提供了独特的具有化学功能的异构电子结构.通过对GO进行还原,可以生成新的sp2域或者改变含氧官能团的数量和类型,从而为GO提供更多的特殊性质.研究表明,电化学还原是一种绿色快速的还原方法,可以控制GO的还原程度和还原过程.本文利用电化学还原法来调整GO表面的官能团和缺陷度,利用在–0.8 V还原电位下得到的电化学还原氧化石墨烯(ERGO-0.8V)修饰玻碳电极(GC)为工作电极(GC/ERGO-0.8V),采用循环伏安法对溶解在pH=3的缓冲溶液中的TTC进行电化学检测,发现ERGO-0.8V对TTC具有电催化性能.利用红外光谱(FT-IR)、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)和拉曼光谱对ERGO-0.8V, ERGO-1.2V, GO及化学还原得到的石墨烯(CRGO)表面官能团和缺陷程度进行了表征,考察了TTC在ERGO-0.8V/GC上的电化学行为,对其电催化还原机理进行了推测.结果表明,与GO, ERGO-1.2V及CRGO修饰电极相比, GC/ERGO-0.8V修饰电极的催化还原峰在0–0.5 V,对TTC表现出独特的电催化性能, GC/ERGO-0.8V电极对浓度为0.1–120 mg/L的TTC溶液具有良好的检测性能,在不同浓度范围内其氧化峰峰电流与峰电位的线性关系不同. FT-IR和XPS结果显示,在–0.8 V还原电位下得到的ERGO-0.8V,其官能团类型和数量发生变化,但仍存在大量官能团,主要是羧基、羟基和环氧基.同时,拉曼表征显示ERGO-0.8V的缺陷密度增大,同时新生成的sp2域减小而使得ERGO的sp2域减小.对比GO等其他材料的表征结果推测,官能团变化是影响ERGO独特电催化性质的主要因素,除此之外还有材料的缺陷度和sp2域.推测GC/ERGO-0.8V修饰电极对TTC可能的催化机理为： TTC在GC/ERGO电极上的还原与氢醌和醌之间的转换有关;而对于ERGO,则可能对应于羧基和羟基之间的转化.然而,同样具有羧基和羟基的ERGO-1.2V则对TTC没有产生电催化作用.其原因可能是在–0.8到–1.2 V还原电位下,形成的羧基位于石墨烯片层内部,而片层内的电子传递较慢.