SGER: Flash Conversion of Graphite Oxide to Graphene

这个探索性研究奖的小额资助支持快速闪光转换过程的基础研究，该过程可以通过简单地将氧化石墨暴露于相机闪光灯等脉冲光源来将其还原为石墨烯。 氧化石墨是最有希望批量生产石墨烯的前驱体，在过去几年中引起了学术界和工业界的广泛兴趣。 将氧化石墨转化为石墨烯依赖于通常需要高毒性试剂（例如肼）的化学处理或在受控气氛下的高温退火。 这带来了许多加工缺点，限制了石墨烯材料的应用。 一个快速的光为基础的过程应该有很大的优势，因为它是化学自由，能源效率，并允许网站特定？拍照手术使用光掩模修改材料上的局部区域。 演示内容包括氧化石墨快速快速转化为石墨烯的演示、材料表征结果的文件记录以及使用快速转化来图案化石墨烯材料的概念验证演示。 如果成功，这项研究的结果将促进知识和理解，并为氧化石墨/石墨烯材料的制造和加工创造有利的技术。 它可以促进许多领域的进步，包括电子，聚合物复合材料，传感器和执行器。 拟议研究的结果也将传播给教学和外联活动。 当使用消费者相机闪光灯进行尖端研究发现时，它自然会引起广泛的公众兴趣。 它将用于提高公众对科学和工程的认识，并吸引学生，特别是来自代表性不足群体的妇女。 基于研究结果的新科学项目和示范将通过已经建立的推广渠道为芝加哥地区的中学设计。

This Small Grant for Exploratory Research award supports fundamental research of a rapid flash conversion process that can reduce graphite oxide to graphene by simply exposing it to a pulsed light source such as a camera flash. Graphite oxide is the most promising precursor for bulk production of graphene and has caught wide interest in both academic and industrial researches in the past few years. Conversion of graphite oxide to graphene has relied on either chemical treatments that often requires highly toxic reagents such as hydrazine, or high temperature annealing under controlled atmospheres. This brings many processing disadvantages and limits the applications of graphene materials. A rapid light based process should have great advantage because it is chemical free, energy efficient, and allows site specific ?photo surgery? to modify local areas on the material using a photo-mask. Deliverables include demonstration of rapid flash conversion of graphite oxide to graphene, documentation of material characterization results, and proof of concept demonstration of using flash conversion to pattern graphene materials. If successful, the results from this research will advance the knowledge and understanding, and create enabling techniques for the manufacturing and processing of the graphite oxide/graphene materials. It can catalyze advances in many areas including electronics, polymer composite, sensors and actuators. Results from the proposed research will be disseminated for teaching and outreach activities, too. When cutting edge research discoveries are made using a consumer camera flash, it should naturally catch wide public interest. It will be used to raise public awareness of science and engineering, and engage students, especially women those from underrepresented groups. New science projects and demonstrations based on the results will be designed for the middle schools in the Chicago area through the already established outreach channels.