Reduction of graphene oxide films by alcohol-assisted CVD
摘要
Graphene oxide (GO) thin films were deposited on quartz by an adapted doctor-blade method and reduced by ethanol-assisted chemical vapor deposition (CVD) to define a practical processing window for low-resistance, adherent rGO coatings. Once the system reached a vacuum of 100 mTorr, the furnace was heated to 600 or 700°C; a flow of Ar/3% H₂ was introduced from 200°C to the set point and then switched to ethanol vapor for 35 to 45 min. The films were characterized via a variety of analytical methods, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and electrical measurements via the four-point probe method. The atomic fraction of oxygen decreased from ~ 39 atomic % in GO to 7.4–9.8 atomic % in rGO, and the XPS C1s/O1s ratio increased from 2.19 to 7.07–13.52. In agreement with the structural restoration (disappearance of the GO (001) peak and appearance of the rGO (002) peak), the sheet resistance decreased from 39.6 kΩ/□ for GO to 50–175 Ω/□ for rGO, reaching a minimum of 50 Ω/□ at 600 °C for 45 min, this decrease in sheet resistance can be attributed to reduction of oxygen functional groups and restoration of sp2 carbon network, as confirmed by XPS and FTIR spectra. These results, which are related to the reduction of graphene oxide (rGO), may find particular application in electrochemical bioplatforms, sensors, and energy storage.