SGER: Flash Conversion of Graphite Oxide to Graphene

这项探索性研究小额赠款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在脉冲光源（如相机闪光灯）下将其还原为石墨烯。氧化石墨是最有前途的石墨烯批量生产前驱体，在过去的几年里引起了学术界和工业界的广泛兴趣。氧化石墨到石墨烯的转化依赖于化学处理，通常需要高毒性试剂，如联氨，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。一个快速的基于光的过程应该有很大的优势，因为它是无化学物质，节能，并允许特定的地点？照片手术?使用光掩模来修改材料上的局部区域。交付成果包括演示氧化石墨到石墨烯的快速闪光转换，材料表征结果的文档，以及使用闪光转换来图案石墨烯材料的概念证明演示。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。它可以催化许多领域的进步，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分发给教学和外展活动。当使用消费类相机闪光灯进行前沿研究发现时，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女性。新的科学项目和基于结果的示范将通过已经建立的外展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.