Hydrothermal method for the production of reduced graphene oxide

Reduced graphene oxide, RGO (also called chemically modified graphene, CMG) was synthesized by a simple hydrothermal method, with graphite oxide (GO), prepared by the modified Hummers method, served as the raw material. Structural and morphological studies indicate the degree of reduction is dependent on the temperature, which is also verified by Raman analysis. The variation in interlayer distance and the intensity ratio of the D to G Raman modes (ID/IG) indicates higher reaction temperature can accelerate the reduction of GO. The conductivity also varies with the degree of reduction, as verified by electrochemical analyzer. Moreover, the reaction process affects organic functional groups, the mechanism during the reaction process is discussed.