New method of graphene oxidation

Researchers at Northwestern University have developed a method for the chemical modification of graphene, which could be a step forward to produce faster, smaller and more flexible electronic components.

>>> Graphene: The material can change the world

With special properties such as high hardness, good conductivity, Graphene is promising material for next-generation electronic components, many experts say Graphene will replace silicon to create super-computers. fast, phone and mobile electronics. However, an obstacle to this material is the adjustment of its electrical properties. Unlike semiconductors such as silicon, pure graphene is a material with a non-zero boundary so it is difficult to break the current through it, which is not suitable for digital circuits that make up the electronic circuit.

To be able to use Graphene, researchers around the world are studying how to chemically alter this material. The popular method developed in the 1940s is the Hummers method for graphene oxidation, but this method requires the use of strong acids and can destroy graphene network structures. Recently researchers at the Northwestern Institute of Applied Sciences and Engineering at Northwestern University, have developed a method of graphene oxidation without the drawbacks of the Hammers method. This oxidation is homogeneous and reversible so that the oxidized graphene properties can be well controlled.

To generate the graphene oxide, the scientists introduced oxygen into the high vacuum chamber. Inside, a tungsten fiber is heated to 1500 degrees Celsius, which separates oxygen molecules into oxygen atoms, and the strong atoms are inserted into the graphene network uniformly.

Prof. Mark C. Hersam said the work is unlikely to have a big impact on overnight use but it is a step in the right direction. Next, scientists will look for other methods to change the chemistry of graphene to create other materials like plastics in the last century.

This research was funded by the National Science Foundation and the US Department of Energy.