Research team introduces new non-toxic method for producing high-quality graphene oxide

Researchers at Umeå University in Sweden have discovered a new method of synthesizing graphene oxide, which has significantly fewer defects than materials produced by the most common method. Likewise, good graphene oxide could previously only be synthesized using the hazardous method rather than highly toxic fuming nitric acid.

Graphene oxide is often used to make graphene by removing oxygen. However, if there are holes Graphene oxide, will also have holes after converting to graphene. Therefore, the quality of graphene oxide is very important.

Alexander Taliesin and his research group have now cracked the puzzle of how to make good graphene oxide safely. They have consequences. published In the journal Carbon

Graphene is often described as a wonder material thanks to its flexibility, high mechanical strength and conductivity. But all the properties of graphene are affected by defects. Graphene prepared from graphene oxide has poorer mechanical properties and conductivity than expected.

Many studies have shown that synthesis by the most commonly used method, the Hummers method, always results in a significant number of defects. The very old Brody method provides almost completely hole-free graphene oxide, but this type of graphene oxide is still not produced by any company and is not commercially available. “It’s very dangerous and not suitable for industrial manufacturing,” says Alexander Taliesin.

Now, researchers have discovered a new method called the Hummers method (H₂So₄) and an oxidant from the Brody method (potassium chlorate), which allows the production of graphene oxide with many of the defects in Brody, but using a simple synthesis procedure similar to the Hummers oxidation.

“This method should be named after Bartosz Grzeda, a researcher working in my group…as the Grzeda method,” says Alexander Taliesin.

According to Talyzin, there are many reasons to believe that the Garzida method will become as popular as the Hummers method whenever defect-free graphene oxide is needed. This method is used to remove oxygen groups to form graphene or to prepare gas-shielding coatings, semi-permeable membranes, sensors and many others. Possible applications.

In the last decade, there has also been a lot of interest for the use of graphene oxide itself. Layered graphene oxide materials are intensively studied for membrane applications with the dream of developing them. Potable water By simple filtration of salts from seawater or by creating semi-permeable protective coatings that allow water to pass through while keeping out dangerous organic contaminants, such as toluene.

“We want the research community to try and test this new graphene oxide in their own applications and see the difference. Graphene oxide is not one material; it’s a family of materials with different properties, which give us new Provides unlimited opportunities for applications.” Talyzin says.