High-quality graphene via microwave reduction of solution-exfoliated graphene oxide

Abstract

Efficient exfoliation of graphite in solutions to obtain high-quality graphene flakes is desirable for printable electronics, catalysis, energy storage, and com posites. Graphite oxide with large lateral dimensions has an exfoliation yield of ∼100%, but it has not been possible to completely remove the oxygen functional groups so that the reduced form of graphene oxide (GO; reduced form: rGO) remains a highly disordered material. Here we report a simple, rapid method to reduce GO into pristine graphene using 1- to 2-second pulses of microwaves.The desirable structural properties are translated intomobility values of >1000 square centimeters per volt per second in fieldeffect transistors with microwave-reduced GO (MW-rGO) as the channelmaterial and into particularly high activity for MW-rGO catalyst support toward oxygen evolution reactions.