Researchers from Umea have found a new way to synthesize graphene oxide which has significantly fewer defects compared to materials produced by most common method. Similarly good graphene oxide could be synthesized previously only using rather dangerous method involving extremely toxic fuming nitric acid.
Alexandr Talyzin and his research group at the
Too dangerous for industrial manufacturing
Many studies have demonstrated that synthesis by the most commonly used method, Hummers method, always results in a significant number of defects. The much older Brodie method provides nearly completely hole-free graphene oxide but this type of graphene oxide is still not produced by any companies and not available commercially.
'It is simply too dangerous and not suitable for industrial manufacturing,' says Alexandr Talyzin.
Molekylar modell av grafenoxid
Simple figure picturing graphene oxide. ImageNicolas Boulanger
Now, researchers from Umea have found a new method that combines the acid from the Hummers method (H2SO4) and the oxidant from the Brodie method (potassium chlorate), allowing them to produce graphene oxide with a number of defects as small as those in Brodie, but using a synthesis procedure as simple as Hummers oxidation.
'This method should be named after
Can be used for water treatment
According to Alexandr Talyzin, there are all reasons to believe that the Gurzeda method will become as popular as Hummers oxidation whenever defect-free graphene oxide is needed. This is for making graphene by removing oxygen groups or for the preparation of gas protection coatings, semi-permeable membranes, sensors, and many other possible applications.
In the recent decade, a lot of interest has also arisen for applications of graphene oxide itself. Layered graphene oxide materials are intensively studied for membrane applications with the dream of producing drinkable water by simple filtration of salts from sea water or creating semi-permeable protective coatings that allow water to pass while keeping dangerous organic pollutants, such as toluene, away.
'We want the research society to try and test this new graphene oxide in their applications and see the difference.
About the scientific paper
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