Facile Graphene Oxide Preparation by Microwave-Assisted Acid Method

Abstract

Few-layered graphene oxide (GO) was prepared using a fast and energy-saving method by microwave-assisted acid technique. The oxygenated groups existing on the GO surface were determined using UV-Vis, X-ray photoelectron and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopies. An oxygenated group percentage of 30% in mass for the GO was observed by thermogravimetric analysis. The reduced few-layered graphene oxide (rGO) film annealed at 110 °C deposited onto a silicon/silica wafer showed expanded graphite-like structure with 0.70 nm between the rGO sheets, as determined by X-ray diffraction. This rGO film exhibited a relatively high electrical conductivity value of 7.36 × 102 S m-1 confirming the good restoration of the π-conjugated system. The prepared GO sample exhibited good stability in water from pH 4 to 12, as determined by its zeta potential, and contained 5 to 9 layers, as determined by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).