(702g) Synthesis of Graphene Oxide Via Sonication-Free Exfoliation of Graphite Oxide

Graphene oxide (GO) has attracted significant attention as catalysts or catalyst supports. Synthesis of GO is typically conducted by exfoliation of graphite oxide. Although efficient and high-yield exfoliation of graphite oxide can be achieved using sonication, the use of sonication causes complexity in the synthesis, which may limit the feasibility of large-scale manufacturing of GO. Furthermore, sonication fragments graphite oxide layers into relatively smaller sheet size. Thus, if the goal is to minimize fragmentation of nanosheets and prepare relatively large GO, a milder exfoliation is required. We have reported a scalable simple synthesis of GO via sonication-free exfoliation of graphite oxide. The method consists of repetitive cycles of rapid freezing of a solution containing graphite oxide and subsequent thawing of the resultant solid, which can efficiently exfoliate graphite oxide with approximately 80% GO yield. In this presentation, we will report the progress of the work and the application of the prepared GO to the synthesis of supported metal catalysts.