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Graphene oxide as a chemically tunable platform for optical applications

Nature Chemistry volume 2, pages 1015–1024 (2010)Cite this article

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Abstract

Chemically derived graphene oxide (GO) is an atomically thin sheet of graphite that has traditionally served as a precursor for graphene, but is increasingly attracting chemists for its own characteristics. It is covalently decorated with oxygen-containing functional groups — either on the basal plane or at the edges — so that it contains a mixture of sp2- and sp3-hybridized carbon atoms. In particular, manipulation of the size, shape and relative fraction of the sp2-hybridized domains of GO by reduction chemistry provides opportunities for tailoring its optoelectronic properties. For example, as-synthesized GO is insulating but controlled deoxidation leads to an electrically and optically active material that is transparent and conducting. Furthermore, in contrast to pure graphene, GO is fluorescent over a broad range of wavelengths, owing to its heterogeneous electronic structure. In this Review, we highlight the recent advances in optical properties of chemically derived GO, as well as new physical and biological applications.

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Figure 1: Chemical and atomic structures of GO and rGO.
Figure 2: Optoelectronic and field effect properties of reduced graphene oxide.
Figure 3: Fluorescence properties of GO and rGO.
Figure 4: Electronic structure and fluorescence of GO.
Figure 5: Fluorescent GO for biological applications.
Figure 6: Fluorescence quenching with GO and rGO and Raman enchancement.
Figure 7: Biosensing by fluorescence quenching in GO.
Figure 8: Nonlinear optical properties of GO and its derivatives.

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Acknowledgements

K.P.L. is supported by the NRF-CRP grant 'Graphene Related Materials and Devices', R-143-000-360-281. M.C. acknowledges funding from the US NSF CAREER Award (ECS 0543867). G.E. and M.C. also acknowledge financial support from the Center for Advanced Structural Ceramics (CASC) at Imperial College London. G.E. acknowledges the Royal Society for the Newton International Fellowship. M.C. acknowledges support from the Royal Society through the Wolfson Merit Award.

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  1. Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, 3 Science Drive 3, 117543, Singapore

    Kian Ping Loh & Qiaoliang Bao

  2. Department of Materials, Imperial College London, Exhibition Road, SW7 2AZ, London, UK

    Goki Eda & Manish Chhowalla

  3. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Rutgers University, 607 Taylor Road, Piscataway, 08854, New Jersey, USA

    Manish Chhowalla

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Loh, K., Bao, Q., Eda, G. et al. Graphene oxide as a chemically tunable platform for optical applications. Nature Chem 2, 1015–1024 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/nchem.907

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