This study explores the electrochemical modification of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) by incorporating 1,10-phenanthroline groups prior to the electrodeposition of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs), aiming to enhance the performance on the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The introduction of 1,10-phenanthroline onto the rGO surface significantly improved its ability to coordinate metallic cations, compared to unmodified rGO. This enhanced coordination capacity led to a more efficient deposition of Ag NPs. Notably, increasing the amount of 1,10-phenanthroline groups grafted onto the rGO further boosted the number of deposited Ag NPs, substantially improving ORR performance. These results demonstrate that increasing the number of coordination units on rGO sheets prior to metal incorporation can significantly enhance the electrocatalytic efficiency of the resulting nanocomposites. This work emphasizes the importance of functionalizing rGO surfaces to optimize their catalytic properties for energy conversion and storage applications. This modification of rGO also paves the way for broader potential applications across various fields.

Recent advancements in 2D graphene materials highlight their versatile applications in electronics, clean energy, medicine, and other fields due to their exceptional properties and ease of fabrication. The current study investigates the preparation of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) through the thermal exfoliation of graphite oxide under an air atmosphere at varying temperatures (200–500 °C) and further examines its suitability as an anode for lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. The extent of reduction of functional groups, exfoliation, and other physical changes is analyzed by XRD, SEM, XPS, BET, and Raman studies, which show that the reduction of functional groups and surface area increases with increasing exfoliation temperature. The RGO electrodes are subjected to electrochemical studies, including cyclic voltammetry and charge–discharge cycling at various current densities, which demonstrate varying discharge capacities for RGO samples prepared at different temperatures. The RGO exfoliated at 400 °C delivered the maximum capacity, indicating that this temperature is optimal for the thermal preparation of RGO. This material shows potential for use as an anode in Li-ion batteries.

With high redox activity, superior conductivity, abundant pores, and large specific surface area, nitrogen-doped graphitic carbon featuring a hierarchically porous structure is regarded as ideal electrode material for supercapacitors. In this work, hierarchically porous nitrogen-doped graphitic carbon (PG-PZC50) was fabricated via non-solvent induced phase separation and high-temperature calcination processes. SEM images showed its three-dimensional network structure, with abundant macro- and mesopores distributed throughout. XRD and Raman spectra confirmed the phase purity and graphitic nature of the as-prepared material, while XPS revealed its surface elemental composition, especially the content and doping states of nitrogen atoms. The graphene oxide-induced three-dimensional network, combined with the mesoporous structure of metalorganic framework-derived N-doped carbon particles, creates abundant migration channels and a large adsorption surface area for the electrolyte ions. Benefiting from its hierarchically porous structure and high nitrogen-doping content, the formed PG-PZC50 reached high specific capacitances of 499.7 F g− 1 at 0.1 A g− 1 and 179.6 F g− 1 at 20 A g− 1. Notably, the material also demonstrated robust cyclic stability with no capacitance loss after 10,000 charge–discharge cycles. The proposed synthetic strategy provides new ideas for the facile and reproducible construction of nitrogen-doped graphitic carbon with 3D hierarchically porous structure and high capacitive performances.

With the increasing demand for flexible electronic devices, smaller and lighter flexible supercapacitors have gained significant research attention. Among the various materials, self-supporting reduced graphene oxide (rGO) paper has emerged as one of the most promising electrode materials for supercapacitors due to its low cost, high chemical/thermal stability, and excellent electrical conductivity. Nevertheless, a major drawback of rGO paper is the limited ion diffusion between stacked rGO layers, hindering the effective formation of electrochemical double-layer at the electrode/electrolyte interface. In this study, we prepared the rGO paper derived from ball-milled followed-by water oxidation process for reducing the sheet size. The smaller-sized rGO sheets facilitated ion transport between graphene layers, promoting efficient electric double-layer formation. Moreover, the increased presence of edge planes in ball-milled rGO sheets achieved high capacitance, further enhancing the performance of rGO as an electrode material. Notably, the 2-BMOX rGO paper obtained from ball-milling and wet-oxidized graphite exhibited a capacitance of 117.9 F/g in cyclic voltammetry (CV) and 128.6 F/g in galvanostatic charge–discharge (GCD) tests, approximately twice that of conventional rGO. Additionally, the capacitance retained 91% of its initial performance after 2,000 cycles, indicating excellent cycling stability.

본 연구에서는 과불화 알킬 사슬이 도입된 산화 그래핀(perfluoroalkyl-grafted graphene oxide, FGO)을 합성하고, 이를 과불소화계 고분자인 나피온(Nafion)에 복합화하여 바나듐 레독스 흐름 전지(vanadium redox flow battery, VRFB)용 이 온 교환 막을 개발하고자 하였다. FGO는 염기성 촉매 하에서 카르복실산기를 함유한 폴리(헥사플루오로프로필렌 옥사이드) (157 FSL, DuPont)의 카르복실산기와 GO의 에폭시기 간 개환 에스터화 반응을 통해 합성하였다. 합성된 FGO를 Nafion 기 지체에 함량을 달리하여 첨가한 복합막(N/FGO_X)을 제조하고, 함수율, 체적 안정성, 수소 이온 전도도, 바나듐 이온 투과도 및 셀 성능을 평가하였다. N/FGO 복합막은 Nafion 단일막 대비 낮은 함수율과 체적 변화율을 보였으며, FGO의 물리적 차단 효과에 의해 바나듐 이온 투과도가 감소하면서도 수소 이온 전도도를 유지하여 우수한 이온 선택도를 나타내었다. VRFB 단 위 셀 평가 결과, FGO가 도입된 복합막은 Nafion 단일막을 적용한 셀 대비 높은 방전 용량, 쿨롱 효율 및 에너지 효율을 유 지하였다.

The distinctive surface characteristics of two-dimensional(2D) materials present a significant challenge when developing heterostructures for electronic or optoelectronic devices. In this study, we present a method for fabricating top-gate graphene field-effect transistors (FETs) by incorporating a metal interlayer between the dielectric and graphene. The deposition of an ultrathin Ti layer facilitates the formation of a uniform HfO₂ layer on the graphene surface via atomic layer deposition (ALD). During the ALD process, the Ti layer oxidizes to TiO₂, which has a negligible impact on the current flow along the graphene channel. The mobility of graphene in the FET was enhanced in relation to the SiO₂-based back-gate FET by modifying the thin HfO₂ top-gate dielectric deposited on the Ti interlayer. Furthermore, shifts in the Dirac point and subthreshold swing were markedly reduced owing to the reduction in charge scattering caused by the presence of trap sites at the interface between graphene and SiO₂. This route to modulating the interface between 2D material-based heterostructures will provide an opportunity to improve the performance and stability of 2D electronics and optoelectronics.

Bisphenol F (BPF) is a substitute agent for bisphenol A and is widely used in the production of materials such as epoxy resins and plastics. BPF accumulates in surface water because of its nonbiodegradable and recalcitrant nature, making it difficult to remove. In this study, the removal of BPF through a photocatalytic process was evaluated using zinc oxide (ZnO)/reduced graphene oxide (RGO) microspheres. A spray drying method was used to prepare the ZnO/RGO microspheres, which combine the photocatalytic efficiency of ZnO with the high electron mobility and large surface area of RGO, achieving a bandgap of 2.53 eV. Structural and morphological analyses confirmed the successful hybridization of the ZnO/RGO microsphere composite. The photocatalytic activity of the ZnO/RGO microspheres was evaluated under various light sources, with the highest degradation efficiency achieved under ultraviolet C irradiation. The optimal catalyst dosage of the ZnO/RGO microspheres was determined to be 0.1 g/L for BPF removal (BPF initial concentration = 5 mg/L). Scavenger tests revealed the dominance of superoxide radicals ( O2 ·−) in the degradation process. The effects of pH (3.52–9.59), ions ( Cl−, NO3 −, and SO4 2−), and natural organic matter were also examined to assess the practical applicability of the ZnO/RGO microsphere photocatalytic system. High pH levels and the presence of NO3 − (> 10 mM) were found to enhance BPF removal. This research highlights the potential of the ZnO/RGO microspheres as efficient photocatalysts for the removal of BPF in aqueous solutions.

To improve the proton conductivity of the proton exchange membranes (PEM), an amino derivative with sulfonic acid groups was used to modify graphene oxide (GO), resulting in sulfonated graphene oxide (S-GO), which was then incorporated into a perfluorinated sulfonic acid (PFSA) matrix to fabricate a PFSA/S-GO composite membranes. Elevating the doping concentration of S-GO within the composite membrane has resulted in enhanced proton conductivity, outperforming the baseline PFSA membrane across a range of temperatures. Notably, this conductivity ascended to 291.89 mS/cm when measured at 80 °C under conditions of 100% RH. Furthermore, the strong interface interaction between sulfonated graphene oxide and perfluorinated sulfonic acid polymer endowed the composite proton exchange membrane with excellent thermal stability and mechanical strength.