title: Chemically active reduced graphene oxide with tunable C/O ratios.
abstract: Organic dispersions of graphene oxide can be thermally reduced in polar organic solvents under reflux conditions to afford electrically conductive, chemically active reduced graphene oxide (CARGO) with tunable C/O ratios, dependent on the boiling point of the solvent. The reductions are achieved after only 1 h of reflux, and the corresponding C/O ratios do not change upon further thermal treatment. Hydroxyl and carboxyl groups can be removed when the reflux is carried out above 155 °C, while epoxides are removable only when the temperature is higher than 200 °C. The increasing hydrophobic nature of CARGO, as its C/O ratio increases, improves the dispersibility of the nanosheets in a polystyrene matrix, in contrast to the aggregates formed with CARGO having lower C/O ratios. The excellent processability of the obtained CARGO dispersions is demonstrated via free-standing CARGO papers that exhibit tunable electrical conductivity/chemical activity and can be used as lithium-ion battery anodes with enhanced Coulombic efficiency.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208-3133, United States.
authors.forename: Owen C
authors.initials: OC
authors.lastname: Compton
authors.forename: Bonny
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jain
authors.forename: Dmitriy A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Dikin
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abouimrane
authors.forename: Khalil
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Amine
authors.forename: Sonbinh T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Nguyen
mesh_terms: D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D004563:Electrochemistry / Q000379:methods; D005583:Fourier Analysis; D006108:Graphite / Q000737:chemistry*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D010087:Oxides / Q000737:chemistry*; D011137:Polystyrenes / Q000737:chemistry; D012997:Solvents / Q000737:chemistry; D013052:Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission / Q000379:methods; D013501:Surface-Active Agents / Q000737:chemistry; D013696:Temperature; D013818:Thermogravimetry; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
chemical_list: D009930:Organic Chemicals; D010087:Oxides; D011137:Polystyrenes; D012997:Solvents; D013501:Surface-Active Agents; D002244:Carbon; D006108:Graphite