Green and facile edge-oxidation of multi-layer graphene by sodium persulfate activated with ferrous ions
Lijing Han,Yingxia Zong,Qi Tang,Hairui Wang,Xiurui Lang,Lan Cao,Chengzhong Zong
RSC Advances Pub Date : 08/20/2020 00:00:00 , DOI:10.1039/D0RA05575A
Abstract

Effective edge oxidation of graphene with high structural integrity is highly desirable yet technically challenging for most practical applications. In this work, we have developed a green and facile strategy to obtain edge-oxidized graphene with good dispersion stability and high electrical conductivity by exploiting high edge reactivity of highly conductive multi-layer graphene and oxidizing radicals (SO4˙) generated from sodium persulfate (Na2S2O8) with ferrous ion (Fe2+) activation. Owing to high structural integrity of pristine graphene and effective edge oxidation, the obtained edge-oxidized graphene exhibited excellent dispersion stability and satisfactory electrical conductivity (i.e. ≥240 S cm−1). Moreover, the oxidation degree of pristine graphene can be well controlled by adjusting treatment time. The obtained edge-oxidized graphene is expected to find a variety of applications in many fields of anti-static films, energy storage materials, flexible sensors and high-performance nanocomposites.

Graphical abstract: Green and facile edge-oxidation of multi-layer graphene by sodium persulfate activated with ferrous ions