Ambient condition production of high quality reduced graphene oxide

TL;DR

This paper presents an environmentally friendly ambient condition method using nanosecond infrared laser irradiation to produce high-quality reduced graphene oxide with improved properties and sensor performance.

Contribution

A novel ambient condition reduction technique for graphene oxide using nanosecond infrared laser irradiation that enhances quality and control over surface functional groups.

Findings

Achieved high Raman I(G)/I(D) ratio of 4.59 indicating high quality.

Produced graphene with an average crystallite size of ~90 nm.

Gas sensors demonstrated sensitivity down to 10 ppm for NO₂, NH₃, and H₂S.

Abstract

Reduced graphene oxide becomes one of the most popular materials for applications in various optical, electronic and sensor devices. Even though many methods have been already reported for reduced graphene oxide synthesis, they usually rise issues related to their efficiency, quality and environmental impact. This work demonstrates a simple, environmentally friendly and effective method for reducing graphene oxide under ambient conditions using nanosecond infrared laser irradiation. As a result, a Raman band intensity ratio of I(G)/I(D) of 4.59 was achieved with an average crystallite size of ~90 nm. This graphene is of higher quality than what can be achieved with most of the existing methods. Additionally, the demonstrated reduction technique allows the selective reduction of graphene oxide and control the amount of functional groups on the surface of the material. Gas sensors fabricated according to the proposed technique efficiently detect NO$_2$, NH$_3$, and H$_2$S with the sensitivity down to 10 ppm.