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Birch reduction of graphite. Edge and interior functionalization by hydrogen
Zhiqiang Yang1, Yanqiu Sun, Lawrence B Alemany
1Department of Chemistry, Shared Equipment Authority, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States.
Journal of the American Chemical Society
|October 18, 2012
Summary
The Birch reduction of graphite yields highly exfoliated, hydrogenated graphene. This process saturates both the edges and interior of the graphene lattice with hydrogen atoms.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Chemistry
Background:
- Graphite is a layered material with unique electronic properties.
- Chemical modification of graphite can alter its properties for various applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the Birch reduction of graphite.
- To characterize the resulting hydrogenated graphene product.
Main Methods:
- Birch reduction using lithium in liquid ammonia.
- Solid-state (13)C NMR spectroscopy.
- Elemental analysis.
- Atomic force microscopy (AFM).
- Electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS).
Main Results:
- The Birch reduction produced a highly reduced, exfoliated graphene material.
- NMR and EELS confirmed hydrogenation at both edges and interior lattice positions.
- Elemental analysis yielded a composition of (C(1.3)H)(n).
- AFM showed significant exfoliation of the reduced graphene.
- A large band gap of 4 eV was observed, indicating extensive hydrogenation.
Conclusions:
- Birch reduction is an effective method for hydrogenating graphite.
- The resulting hydrogenated graphene exhibits a high degree of exfoliation and hydrogenation.
- The material possesses a significant band gap, suggesting potential for electronic applications.
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