Synthesis of RGO-Ni by microwave irradiation method

Abstract

Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) is considered as one of chemically derived graphene. Synthesis of graphene oxide (GO) is a prior step for making rGO. Graphene oxide can be described as a random distribution of oxidized areas with some oxygen-containing functional group in a carbon atom plane. In the present study GO powder was prepared by the Hummers method. The obtained material from Hummer's method was identified as GO powder by XRD and FTIR characterization. After the Hummers method, the resulted GO powder mixed with nickel sulfate as the catalyst, treated in Ar/H2 (4:1) environment under microwave irradiation. The Ar and H2 gases were expected to release the oxygen from the GO powder and to prevent the released oxygen back to the material. In this study, we did variations on the flowrate of Ar/H2 gases, the mass of GO powder in the system and the microwave power. The optimum oxygen group reduction has occurred when the material was treated in the Ar/H2 gas flow rate of 0.4 liters/minute, the sample mass of 0.5 g and the microwave power of 720 Watt as the reduction of oxygen atomic bond confirmed by FTIR spectrum.