Cathodic performance of V2O5 nanowires and reduced graphene oxide composites for lithium ion batteries

In this study, vanadium pentoxide (V₂O₅) nanowires (NWs) with a diameter of 100–200 nm and a length of up to several micrometers as cathode for lithium ion batteries are synthesize using an electrospinning method. The reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and V₂O₅ NWs (GVO) composites are form by wet mixing the electrospun V₂O₅ NWs and rGO. Surface morphologies, microstructure and elemental mapping, and chemical bonding states of the composites are characterize. The initial and 60 cycles discharge capacities of GVO composite composed of 1 wt% rGO show up to 225 mAh g⁻¹ and 125 mAh g⁻¹, even higher than pure V₂O₅ NWs, when the lithium ion battery cycled between 2.0 and 4.0 V with a rate of 0.2 C, because of highly conductive rGO. The GVO composite could be promising as a high performance cathode for lithium ion batteries.     

Synthesis and characterization of nitrogen-doped TiO2 coatings on reduced graphene oxide for enhancing the visible light photocatalytic activity

Nitrogen-doped TiO₂ coatings on reduced graphene oxide were prepared via a sonochemical synthesis and hydrothermal process. The nanocomposites showed improved photocatalytic activity due to their large specific surface areas (185–447 m²/g), the presence of TiO₂ in the anatase phase, and a quenched photoluminescence peak. In particular, GN3-TiO₂ (nitrogen-doped TiO₂ coatings on rGO with 3 ml of titanium (IV) isopropoxide) exhibited the best photocatalytic efficiency and degradation rate among the materials prepared. With nitrogen-doped on the reduced graphene oxide surface, the photocatalytic activity is enhanced approximately 17.8 times compared to that of the pristine TiO₂. The dramatic enhancement of activity is attributed to the nitrogen contents and rGO effectively promoting charge-separation efficiency and providing abundant catalytically active sites to enhance the reactivity. The composites also showed improved pollutant adsorption capacity, electron–hole pair lifetime, light absorption capability, and absorbance of visible light.     

Synthesis and characterization of graphene oxide,reduced graphene oxide and their nanocomposites with polyethylene oxide

This work describes the synthesis of GO, rGO and their nanocomposites with PEO. GO and rGO were prepared by the modified Hummers method and in-situ reduction of GO utilizing green reductant L (+) Ascorbic acid. The nanocomposites were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), and Universal Testing Machine (UTM). FT-IR and XRD confirmed the synthesis of GO and rGO. FE-SEM confirmed the uniformly exfoliated GO and rGO nanosheets in the polymer matrix. Hydrogen bonding was the main interaction mechanism for GO with PEO while no interaction was detected by FT-IR for rGO. Enhanced thermal stability was observed for both GO/PEO and rGO/PEO nanocomposites. The mechanical analysis showed an increase in Young's modulus, tensile strength, and elongation at break for GO/PEO nanocomposites, which is attributed to the homogeneous dispersion and hydrophilic hydrogen bonding interaction of GO with PEO.     

Hydrothermal method for the production of reduced graphene oxide

Reduced graphene oxide, RGO (also called chemically modified graphene, CMG) was synthesized by a simple hydrothermal method, with graphite oxide (GO), prepared by the modified Hummers method, served as the raw material. Structural and morphological studies indicate the degree of reduction is dependent on the temperature, which is also verified by Raman analysis. The variation in interlayer distance and the intensity ratio of the D to G Raman modes (I_D/I_G) indicates higher reaction temperature can accelerate the reduction of GO. The conductivity also varies with the degree of reduction, as verified by electrochemical analyzer. Moreover, the reaction process affects organic functional groups, the mechanism during the reaction process is discussed.     

A new analytical device incorporating a nitrogen doped lanthanum metal oxide with reduced graphene oxide sheets for paracetamol sensing

The novel N-CeO₂ nanoparticles decorated on reduced graphene oxide (N-CeO₂@rGO) composite has been synthesized by sonochemical method. The characterization of as prepared nanocomposite was intensely performed by UV–Vis, FT-IR, EDX, FE-SEM, HR-TEM, XRD, and TGA analysis. The synthesized nanomaterial was further investigated for its selective and sensitive sensing of paracetamol (PM) based on a N-CeO₂@rGO modified glassy carbon electrode. A distinct and improved reversible redox peak of PM is obtained at N-CeO₂@rGO nanocomposite compared to the electrodes modified with N-CeO₂ and rGO. It displays a very good performance with a wide linear range of 0.05–0.600 μM, a very low detection limit of 0.0098 μM (S/N = 3), a high sensitivity of 268 μA µM⁻¹ cm⁻² and short response time (<3 s). Also, the fabricated sensor shows a good sensibleness for the detection of PM in various tablet samples.     

Reduced graphene oxide field-effect transistor with indium tin oxide extended gate for proton sensing

In this study, the reduced graphene oxide field-effect transistor (rGO FET) with indium tin oxide (ITO) extended gate electrode was demonstrated as a transducer for proton sensing application. In this structure, the proton sensing area of the ITO extended gate electrode is isolated from the active area of the rGO FET. The proton sensing properties based on the rGO FET transducer were analyzed. The rGO FET device with encapsulation by a tetratetracontane (TTC) layer showed good stability in electrolytic solutions. The device showed an ambipolar behavior with shifts in Dirac point as the pH of the electrolyte is varied. The pH sensitivity based on the Dirac point shift as a sensing parameter was about 43–50 mV/pH for a wide range of pH values from 2 to 12. The ITO extended gate rGO FET may be considered a potential transducer for sensing of H⁺ in electrolytes. Its sensing area can be modified further for various ions sensing applications.     

Enhanced microwave absorption performance of MOF-derived hollow Zn-Co/C anchored on reduced graphene oxide

Composite materials assembled by metal/carbon nanoparticles and 2D layered flakes can provide abundant interfaces, which are beneficial for high-performance microwave absorbers. Herein, Zn-Co/C/RGO composites, composed of Zn-Co metal-organic framework-derived Zn-Co/C nanoparticles and reduced graphene oxide (RGO), were obtained through a facile method. The multilayer structure was due to the introduction of hollow Zn-Co/C nanoparticles in the RGO sheets. Zn-Co/C nanoparticles provided abundant polarization and dipole centers on the RGO surface, which enhanced the microwave absorption abilities. Different concentrations of RGO were introduced to optimize impedance matching. The minimum reflection loss (R_L) of Zn-Co/C/RGO with a thickness of 1.5 mm reached -32.56 dB with the bandwidth corresponding to R_L at -10 dB, which can reach 3.92 GHz, while a minimum R_L of -47.15 dB at 11.2 GHz was also obtained at a thickness of 2.0 mm. The electromagnetic data demonstrate that Zn-Co/C/RGO presented excellent absorption performance and has potential for application in the microwave absorption field.     

Enhanced rate capability of LiMn0.9Mg0.1PO4 nanoplates by reduced graphene oxide/carbon double coating for Li-ion batteries

The reduced graphene oxide (RGO)/carbon double-coated LiMn_0.9Mg_0.1PO₄ (LMP) nanoplates are introduced as a cathode material for Li-ion batteries with excellent rate capability. The double coating of RGO and carbon simultaneously brings the unique advantages of conformal carbon layer on each particle surface, and soft RGO sheets connecting the nanoplates to each other, thereby provides easy conduction pathways for the whole LMP aggregates. In particular, the simple self-assembly process driven by the electrostatic interactions enables conducting RGO sheets effectively to wrap the carbon-coated LMP, establishing three-dimensional RGO network. The RGO/C/LMP nanocomposites exhibit remarkably enhanced rate capability compared to the only C- or RGO-coated LMP, which is well explained by the reduced charge-transfer resistance achieved from electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.     

The mechanism of photocurrent enhancement of ZnO ultraviolet photodetector by reduced graphene oxide

An ultraviolet (UV) photodetector based on ZnO-reduced graphene oxide (ZnO-rGO) composites have been successfully fabricated. A pure ZnO photodetector was also fabricated by similar method. In comparison with the pure ZnO UV photodetector, the ZnO-rGO photodetector exhibits a much larger photocurrent and a better light-to-dark-current-ratio. The mechanism of photocurrent enhancement was investigated using I-V characteristics, photoluminescence (PL) spectra, transmittance spectra and time-dependent photocurrent analysis. Results show that the photocurrent enhancement of the ultraviolet photodetector is due to the improvement of the carrier lifetime, because the carrier recombination of ZnO were reduced by rGO. It provides a potential way to fabricate high-response UV photodetectors.     

Ultrasound assisted synthesis of Sn nanoparticles-stabilized reduced graphene oxide nanodiscs

Sn nanoparticles-stabilized reduced graphene oxide (RGO) nanodiscs were synthesized by a sonochemical method using SnCl₂ and graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets as precursors in a polyol medium. TEM and XPS were used to characterize the Sn-stabilized RGO nanodiscs.     

Synthesis of NiCo2S4 nanospheres/reduced graphene oxide composite as electrode material for supercapacitor

The NiCo₂S₄ nanospheres arrayed on the surface of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) was fabricated via one-step hydrothermal method. The effect of initial feeding mass of Ni(NO₃)₂·6H₂O and Co(NO₃)₂·6H₂O to rGO on the microstructure and electrochemical performance of the as-prepared composites was studied. The results indicated that the specific capacitances of the composites were first increased and then reduced due to the aggregation of NiCo₂S₄ nanospheres. NiCo₂S₄ nanospheres/rGO composites exhibited a remarkable specific capacitance of 1406 F/g and excellent cyclic stability of 82.36% at the current density of 1 A/g, which were better than those of individual NiCo₂S₄ (792 F/g and 64.77%) counterpart. These results showed that the as-prepared NiCo₂S₄ nanospheres/rGO composites were outstanding candidate for electrode material of supercapacitors.     

Investigation of reduced graphene oxide effects on ultra-violet detection of ZnO thin film

The reduced graphene oxide (rGO) incorporated ZnO thin films were fabricated by dip-coating method. The Raman and FT-IR spectra of 0.075 wt% incorporated composite film showed reduction of GO in composite film. The transmittanceProd. Type: FTP spectra have shown that rGO incorporation increase the visible light absorption of ZnO thin film while the calculated band gaps of samples were decreased from 3.28 to 3.25 eV by increasing the rGO content. The linear trend of I–V curve suggests an ohmic contact between ZnO and rGO. Besides, it was found that by increasing the rGO content, the electrical resistivity was decreased from 4.32×10² Ω cm for pure ZnO film to 2.4×10¹ Ω cm for 0.225 wt% rGO incorporated composite film. The composite photodetectors not only possessed a desirable UV photosensitivity, but also the response time of optimum sample containing 0.075 wt% rGO was reduced to about one-half of pure ZnO thin film. Also, the calculated signal to noise (SNR) showed that highly conductive rGO in composite thin films facilitate the carrier transportation by removing the trapping centers. The mechanism of photoresponsivity improvement of composite thin films was proposed by carrier transportation process.     

Improvement of water softening efficiency in capacitive deionization by ultra purification process of reduced graphene oxide

Capacitive deionization (CDI) is the next generation of water desalination and softening technology by using relatively low capacitive current of electrochemical double layer. Among various carbon-based materials used for making electrode, reduced graphene oxide (rGO) has been intensively studied due to its excellent electrical conductivity and high surface area. Although Hummer method for making graphene oxide (GO) and rGO is a simple process, it remains some impurities in inherent GO and rGO which affect negatively to the CDI performance. In this work, we successfully prepared ultra purified GO and rGO by modifying Hummer method in order to remove entirely excess elements degrading the CDI performance. The electrosorption capacity of ultra purified rGO is considerably better than that of previous rGO, and maximum removal achieves 3.54 mg g⁻¹ at applied voltage of 2.0 V. Thus, this result could be comparable to other researches in CDI process.     

Deposition of hybrid structures of reduced graphene oxide and tin dioxide thin films,and persistent photoconductivity observation

Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) is deposited on glass substrate by dripping and sol-gel-coating methods giving rise to nanostructures. When in combination with thin films of SnO₂, they form a heterostructure SnO₂:2 at% Eu/rGO, which alters the surface electrical conductivity. SnO₂ and rGO were also combined as a composite, with conductivity strongly affected by ultraviolet excitation, and shows persistent photoconductivity (PPC) phenomenon even very close to room temperature. Both sort o hybrid structures can be applied in electronic devices. The SnO₂ films are deposited via chemical route by sol-gel or by a mixed technique that combines powders generated by drying the sol-gel solution with resistive evaporation of this powder. Resistivity measured as a function of temperature show that the SnO₂:2 at%Eu sample behaves very similarly to the SnO₂:2 at%Eu/rGO heterostructure sample, with the same energy level for the dominant defect, 172 meV, coincident with ionization of oxygen vacancies. Despite not changing the position of this level, the presence of rGO on the surface of the SnO₂ film induces a decrease in conductivity in vacuum, demonstrating the surface interaction.     

Synthesis of reduced graphene oxide and enhancement of its electrical and optical properties by attaching Ag nanoparticles

Graphene has attracted the attention of the scientists and researchers because of its peculiar properties. Because of various unique properties, graphene can be used in sensing device applications, solar cells and liquid crystal display devices etc. In this research paper, we present a chemical route towards bulk production of r-GO (reduced graphene oxide). We have employed a modified method to achieve better results which is often termed as modified Hummer's and Offeman method. It is modified in terms of filtration technique. We have also attached silver nanoparticles (Ag-NP) to as synthesised r-GO. After successful growth, silver nanoparticles have been attached to r-GO by suitable treatment with AgNO₃ (aq.) N/50 solution. The as grown samples were characterised by FESEM, Raman Spectroscopy and EDS to make sure that r-GO and r-GO–Ag-NP have been successfully synthesised. The electrical and optical studies of the as grown samples were performed by dc conductivity measurements and UV visible spectroscopy. The conductivity was found to have increased with attachment of Ag-NP. The optical transmittance also improved to 90% as against 70% before Ag-NP attachment. The reduced graphene oxide attached with silver nanoparticles could find promising applications in synthesis of transparent electrode materials and optoelectronic devices.     

Layered nanocomposite of zinc sulfide covered reduced graphene oxide and their implications for electrocatalytic applications

Herein, we have synthesized zinc sulfide nanospheres (ZnS NPs) encapsulated on reduced graphene oxide (RGO) hybrid by an ultrasonic bath (50 kHz/60 W). The physical and structural properties of ZnS NPs@RGO hybrid were analyzed by TEM, XRD, EIS and EDS. As-prepared ZnS NPs@RGO hybrid was applied towards the electrochemical determination of caffeic acid (CA) in various food samples. The ZnS NPs@RGO hybrid modified electrode (GCE) exhibited an excellent electrocatalytic performance towards caffeic acid detection and determination, when compared to other modified electrodes. Therefore, the electrochemical sensing performance of the fabricated and nanocomposite modified electrode was significantly improved owing to the synergistic effect of ZnS NPs and RGO catalyst. Furthermore, the hybrid materials provide highly active electro-sites as well as rapid electron transport pathways. The proposed electrochemical caffeic acid sensor produces a wide linear range of 0.015–671.7 µM with a nanomolar level detection limit (3.29 nM). In addition, the real sample analysis of the proposed sensor has applied to the determination of caffeic acid in various food samples.     

Water-mediated modulation of TiO2 decorated with graphene for photocatalytic degradation of trichloroethylene

The improvement of photocatalytic properties of TiO₂ was achieved by using water-mediated TiO₂ decorated with graphene (WTiO₂-d-graphene) composites. This work describes the photocatalytic degradation of trichloroethylene (TCE) in the presence of WTiO₂-d-graphene composites. WTiO₂-d-graphene composite photocatalysts, containing different amounts of graphene, were prepared by facile ultrasonic assisted techniques and thermal reaction. The surface properties of these WTiO₂-d-graphene composites were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Peaks attributable to C–C (284.4 eV), denoted as the C_1s spectrum, and C–O bonds (288.6 eV) appeared simultaneously in the XPS spectrum. It was inferred that this was due to the presence of Ti–O–C bonds. The photocatalytic properties were determined by monitoring the degradation of TCE in the headspace of the vial at different times using gas chromatography. From the results, it was apparent that the photocatalytic activities of WTiO₂-d-graphene composites were higher than that of pure TiO_2. This can be attributed to their ability to absorb light over a wider range of wavelengths.     

Effect of incorporation of reduced graphene oxide on ZnO-based dye-sensitized solar cells

Here, we demonstrate a facile method to improve the cell performance of ZnO-based dye sensitized solar cell by incorporating different amount of reduced graphene oxide (rGO). Overall photo-to-current conversion-efficiency (PCE) of the device 3 with 0.75 mL rGO exhibits a 1.3 times improvement compared to bare ZnO. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements show that the enhancement could be attributed to the improvement of electron transport/injection and the decrease of the charge recombination in the device, which arise from the formation of rGO-based Schottky junction in ZnO-photoanode.     

SnO2量子点/石墨烯复合结构的合成及其光催化性能研究

本文以SnCl₄·5H₂O和氧化石墨烯为先驱物, 乙醇水溶液为溶剂, 采用一种简单的水热法一步合成了具有可见光催化活性的SnO₂量子点(约3–5 nm)与石墨烯复合结构, 利用透射电子显微镜(TEM), 高分辨透射电子显微镜(HRTEM), X射线衍射仪(XRD), 傅里叶变换红外光谱(FT-IR)等技术对其结构进行了表征, 利用紫外可见吸收光谱(UV-vis)分析了其光学性能, 罗丹明-B染料为目标降解物研究了SnO₂量子点/石墨烯复合结构可见光催化性能. 结果表明: 与纯SnO₂、纯石墨烯相比, 复合结构显示出了很高的可见光催化活性. 通过对其结构进行分析, 我们提出了SnO₂量子点/石墨烯复合结构的形成机制及其可见光催化活性机理.     

Magnetic and electromagnetic absorption properties of FeNi alloy nanoparticles supported by reduced graphene oxide

FeNi alloy nanoparticles (NPs) supported by reduced graphene oxide (RGO) (FeNi/RGO nanocomposites) were successfully synthesized through in‐situ reduction. Large amounts of sphere‐like FeNi NPs are uniformly deposited on the RGO nanosheets. The magnetic hysteresis measurement reveals the ferromagnetic behavior of the nanocomposites at room temperature. According to the electromagnetic (EM) characteristics, the FeNi/RGO nanocomposites show outstanding EM absorption properties in the 2–18 GHz range, as evidenced by the wide effective absorption bandwidth (up to 3.3 GHz, with reflection loss R_L < –10 dB) and a minimal R_L (–32 dB) at 12.4 GHz with a thickness of 1.5 mm. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)