Facile and controllable electrochemical reduction of graphene oxide and its applications

Graphene oxide is electrochemically reduced which is called electrochemically reduced graphene oxide (ER-G). ER-G is characterized with scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The oxygen content is significantly decreased and the sp² carbon is restored after electrochemical reduction. ER-G exhibits much higher electrochemical capacitance and cycling durability than carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and chemically reduced graphene; the specific capacitance measured with cyclic voltammetry (20 mV s⁻¹) is 165, 86, and 100 F g⁻¹ for ER-G, CNTs, and chemically reduced graphene, respectively. The electrochemical reduction of oxygen and hydrogen peroxide are greatly enhanced on ER-G electrodes as compared with CNTs. ER-G has shown promising features for applications in energy storage, biosensors, and electrocatalysis.