We studied the basic properties and fabrication of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) prepared using eco-friendly reduction agents in the graphene solution process. Hydrazine is generally used to reduce graphene oxide (GO), which results in polluting emissions as well as fixed nitrogen functional groups on different defects in the graphene sheets. To replace hydrazine, we developed eco-friendly reduction agents with similar or better reducing properties, and selected of them for further analysis. In this study, GO layers were produced from graphite flakes using a modified Hummer’s method, and rGO layers were reduced using hydrazine hydrate, L-ascorbic acid, and gluconic acid. We measured the particle sizes and the dispersion stabilities in the rGO dispersed solvents for the three agents and analyzed the structural, electrical, and optical properties of the rGO films. The results showed that the degree of reduction was in the order L-ascorbic acid ≥ hydrazine > glucose. GO reduced using L-ascorbic acid had a sheet resistance of 121 kΩ/sq, while that reduced using gluconic acid showed worse electrical properties than the other two reduction agents. Therefore, L-ascorbic acid is the most suitable eco-friendly reduction agent that can be substituted for hydrazine.

We report on the dispersion state of partially reduced graphene oxide (PRGO) in organic solvents, namely methyl ethyl ketone, ethyl acetate, methylene chloride, toluene, and xylene, by controlling the carbon to oxygen (C/O) atomic ratio of the PRGOs. A two-phase solvent exchange method is also proposed to transfer PRGO from water to an aprotic solvent, such as methyl ethyl ketone. We achieve relatively good dispersion in aprotic and non-polar solvents by controlling the C/O atomic ratio of the PRGOs and applying the two-phase solvent exchange method. There is an increase in the glass transition temperatures with the dispersion of PRGOs into amorphous polymers, in particular a 4.4°C increase for poly(methyl methacrylate) and 3.0°C increase for polycarbonate. Good dispersion of PRGO in a nonpolar polymer, such as linear low density polyethylene, is also obtained.

에너지 저장 매체는 소형화, 고효율화 및 그린에너지 정책에 부합하면서 연구개발이 진행되고 있으며 유연성과 신축성을 갖는 디스플레이나 웨어러블 전자기기의 발전에 상응하는 에너지 저장 매체 의 개발이 시급한 상황으로 이를 실현 할 수 있는 물질가운데, 탄소나노 재료중의 하나인 그래핀과 그 래핀 하이브리드와 같은 뛰어난 전기화학적 특성을 지니고 있는 나노 재료가 각광을 받고 있다. 또한 슈퍼커패시터와 배터리 및 연료전지 등과 같은 에너지 저장 소자에 응용하기 위한 연구가 활발하게 진 행 중에 있으며, 여러 가지 에너지 저장 매체 중 단시간에 고출력을 구현하고 장시간 신뢰성을 갖추며, 빠른 충·방전 순환특성을 가지는 슈퍼커패시터는 차세대 에너지원으로 많은 관심을 받고 있다. 본 연구에서는 플렉시블한 특성을 갖는 그래핀과 전도성 고분자 하이브리드 전극을 기반으로 하는 슈퍼커패시터를 개발하고자 하였으며 환원된 그래핀 옥사이드/폴리피롤 복합재료를 이용하여, 전기화학 적 특성을 최대화 하였다. 그 결과 굽힘 시험 전 전극의 초기 용량값은 198.5 F g-1 이었으며, 500번의 굽힘 시험 후 128.3 F g-1로 감소하는 것을 확인하였으나, 전극의 초기 전기 용량 값의 65 %의 성능을 유지하였다.

본 연구에서는 유연성을 갖는 전극 제조를 위해 환원된 그래핀 옥사이드/단일벽 탄소나노튜 브 복합체를 금이 코팅된 PET 기판 위에 스프레이 코팅하였다. 제조된 플렉시블한 전극의 전기 용량 값 은 1 M의 황산 전해질과 100 mV s-1 의 주사속도에서 82 F g-1 으로 측정 되었으며, 이 용량 값은 500 번의 굽힘 시험 후에 38 F g-1 로 감소되는 현상을 확인 하였다. 또한, 이러한 결과는 정전류 충 방전과 전기화학 임피던스법을 포함한 전기화학적 분석 결과와도 부합하는 결과를 나타내었다. 유연성을 갖는 환원된 그래핀 옥사이드/단일벽 탄소나노튜브 복합체 전극은 500회의 반복적인 굽힘 시험 후에도 대략 50%의 초기 전기 용량 값을 유지 할 수 있었으며, 이러한 여러 가지 전기화학적 특성을 고려하여 볼 때 미래 개발 가능한 플렉시블한 에너지 저장 매체로써의 적용이 가능 하다는 점을 확인 할 수 있었 다.

We report the preparation of sulfonated reduced graphene oxide (SRGO) by the sulfonation of graphene oxide followed by radiation-induced chemical reduction. Graphene oxide prepared by the well-known modified Hummer's method was sulfonated with the aryl diazonium salt of sulfanilic acid. Sulfonated graphene oxide (SGO) dispersed in ethanol was subsequently reduced by γ-ray irradiation at various absorbed doses to produce SRGO. The results of optical, chemical, and thermal analyses revealed that SRGO was successfully prepared by γ-ray irradiation-induced chemical reduction of the SGO suspension. Moreover, the electrical conductivity of SRGO was increased up to 2.94 S/cm with an increase of the absorbed dose.

An attempt was made to investigate the effect of the preparation temperature on the electro-capacitive performance of polypyrrole (PPY)/graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposites (PNCs). For this purpose, a series of PNCs were prepared at various temperatures by the cetyltrimeth-ylammonium bromide-assisted dilute-solution polymerization of pyrrole in presence of GO (wt%) ranging from 1.0 to 4.0 with ferric chloride as an oxidant. The formation of the PNCs was ascertained through Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry, X-ray diffraction spectra, scanning electron microscopy and simultaneous thermogravimetric-differential scanning calorimetry. The electrocapacitive performance of the electrodes derived from sulphonated polysulphone-bound PNCs was evaluated through cyclic voltammetry with reference to Ag/AgCl at a scan rate (V/s) ranging from 0.2 and 0.001 in potassium hydroxide (1.0 M). The incorporation of GO into the PPY matrix at a reduced temperature has a pronounced effect on the electrocapacitive performance of PNCs. Under identical scan rates (0.001 V/s), PNCs prepared at 10 ± 1°C render improved specificconductivity (526.33 F/g) and power density (731.19 W/Kg) values compared to those prepared at 30 ± 1°C (217.69 F/g, 279.43 W/Kg). PNCs prepared at 10 ± 1°C rendered a capacitive retention rate of ~96% during the first500 cycles. This indicates the excellent cyclic stability of the PNCs prepared at reduced tempera-tures for supercapacitor applications.

In this work, nanocomposites of epoxy resin and chemically reduced graphene oxide (RGO) were prepared by thermal curing process. X-ray diffractions confirmed the microstructural properties of RGO. Differential scanning calorimetry was used to evaluate the curing behaviors of RGO/epoxy nanocomposites with different RGO loading amounts. We investigated the effect of RGO loading amounts on the mechanical properties of the epoxy nanocomposites. It was found that the presence of RGO improved both flexural strength and modulus of the epoxy nanocomposites till the RGO loading reached 0.4 wt%, and then decreased. The optimum loading achieved about 24.5 and 25.7% improvements, respectively, compared to the neat-epoxy composites. The observed mechanical reinforcement might be an enhancement of mechanical interlocking between the epoxy matrix and RGO due to the unique planar structures.

This paper reports the effect of adding reduced graphene oxide (RGO) as a conductive material to the composition of an electrode for capacitive deionization (CDI), a process to remove salt from water using ionic adsorption and desorption driven by external applied voltage. RGO can be synthesized in an inexpensive way by the reduction and exfoliation of GO, and removing the oxygen-containing groups and recovering a conjugated structure. GO powder can be obtained from the modification of Hummers method and reduced into RGO using a thermal method. The physical and electrochemical characteristics of RGO material were evaluated and its desalination performance was tested with a CDI unit cell with a potentiostat and conductivity meter, by varying the applied voltage and feed rate of the salt solution. The performance of RGO was compared to graphite as a conductive material in a CDI electrode. The result showed RGO can increase the capacitance, reduce the equivalent series resistance, and improve the electrosorption capacity of CDI electrode.

In this study, we present a facile method of fabricating graphene oxide (GO) filmson the surface of polyimide (PI) via layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly of charged GO. The positively charged amino-phenyl functionalized GO (APGO) is alternatively complexed with the nega-tively charged GO through an electrostatic LBL assembly process. Furthermore, we investi-gated the water vapor transmission rate and oxygen transmission rate of the prepared (reduced GO [rGO]/rAPGO)10 deposited PI film(rGO/rAPGO/PI) and pure PI film.The water vapor transmission rate of the GO and APGO-coated PI composite filmwas increased due to the intrinsically hydrophilic property of the charged composite films.However, the oxygen trans-mission rate was decreased from 220 to 78 cm3/m2·day·atm, due to the barrier effect of the graphene filmson the PI surface. Since the proposed method allows for large-scale production of graphene films, it is considered to have potential for utiliation in various applications.

Mass production of graphene-based materials, which have high specific surface area, is of importance for industrial applications. Herein, we report on a facile approach to produce thermally modified graphene oxide (TMG) in large quantities. We performed this experiment with a hot plate under environments that have relatively low temperature and no using inert gas. TMG materials showed a high specific surface area (430 m2g-1). Successful reduction was confirmed by elemental analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, thermogravimetic analysis, and X-ray diffraction. The resulting materials might be useful for various applications such as in rechargeable batteries, as hydrogen storage materials, as nano-fillers in composites, in ultracapacitors, and in chemical/bio sensors.