Reduced Graphene Oxide and Its Natural Counterpart Shungite Carbon

TL;DR

This paper explains the structure and chemical composition of reduced graphene oxide and shungite carbon using quantum-chemical methods, proposing a multi-stage reduction process and an atomic-microscopic model for natural RGO.

Contribution

It introduces a quantum-chemical framework for understanding RGO's structure and supports a multi-stage reduction concept, linking synthetic and natural RGO, especially shungite carbon.

Findings

Quantum-chemical explanation of RGO structure

Confirmation of multi-stage reduction process

Atomic-microscopic model for shungite carbon

Abstract

Large variety of structure and chemical-composition of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) is explained from a quantum-chemical standpoint. The related molecular theory of graphene oxide, supported by large experience gained by the modern graphene science, has led the foundation of the concept of a multi-stage graphene oxide reduction. This microscopic approach has found a definite confirmation when analyzing the available empirical data concerning both synthetic and natural RGO products, the latter in view of shungite carbon, suggesting the atomic-microscopic model for its structure.