Analysis of Electrochemical Reduction Process of Graphene Oxide and its Electrochemical Behavior

Abstract In this study, the electrochemical reduction process of GO was investigated with structural and electrochemical analysis on a series of step‐reduced ERGOs. Firstly, the disorder of ERGO decreased and its electron conductivity increased significantly at the initial reduction period, from 0 to −0.5 V, together with the desorption of hydroxyl and the formation of carboxyl. Then OCOH was completely reduced to CO at the potential between −1.0 V and −1.4 V. Finally, reduction of CO was observed from −1.6 V to −1.8 V. On the other hand, the step‐reduced ERGO with gradually varying surficial electrochemical properties gave the opportunity for the analysis of a given redox system. The [Fe(CN) 6 ] 3−/4− redox reaction was sensitive to the conductivity of modified ERGOs, but insensitive to the oxy‐functional groups. Oppositely, the Q/HQ redox reaction was mainly effected by the quantity of carboxyl. The oxidation of AA was affected by both the conductivity and oxy‐functional groups. Otherwise, electrostatic interaction was exhibited between reactant and ERGOs for all these three reactions.