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Updated: Mar 22, 2026
Scalable Syntheses of Graphene Oxide and Reduced Graphene Oxide using Cascade Design Oxidation and Highly Basic Reduction Reactions
Published on: July 3, 2025
Single-Step Process toward Achieving Superhydrophobic Reduced Graphene Oxide.
Zhong Li1, Xiu-Zhi Tang1, Wenyu Zhu1
1School of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, ‡School of Civil & Environmental Engineering, and §School of Materials Science & Engineering, Nanyang Technological University , 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798.
Spark plasma sintering (SPS) is a novel single-step method to create superhydrophobic reduced graphene oxide (rGO). This process efficiently converts graphene oxide (GO) into conductive rGO with enhanced properties and antibacterial effects.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Surface Chemistry
Background:
- Graphene oxide (GO) is an electrical insulator.
- Achieving superhydrophobic reduced graphene oxide (rGO) typically requires multiple steps.
- Existing GO reduction methods often have limitations in efficiency and retained properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report the first single-step synthesis of superhydrophobic reduced graphene oxide (rGO) using spark plasma sintering (SPS).
- To investigate the efficacy of SPS in converting graphene oxide (GO) into a material with enhanced electrical conductivity, hierarchical roughness, and superhydrophobicity.
- To evaluate the antibacterial properties of the SPS-fabricated superhydrophobic rGO.
Main Methods:
- Spark plasma sintering (SPS) was employed as a single-step process for GO treatment.
- Optimization of SPS parameters, including temperature and time, was performed.
- Characterization of the resulting rGO included surface roughness analysis, C:O ratio determination, water contact angle measurements, and antibacterial assays.
Main Results:
- SPS successfully exfoliated, reduced, and hierarchically roughened GO at a low temperature (500 °C).
- rGO produced via SPS exhibited superhydrophobicity (water contact angle of 153°) with significantly increased surface roughness and an exceptionally high C:O ratio (83.03 atom %).
- The superhydrophobic rGO demonstrated potent antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli.
Conclusions:
- SPS is a superior and rapid technique for achieving superhydrophobic rGO in a single step.
- The fabricated superhydrophobic rGO possesses desirable properties for self-cleaning and antibacterial applications.
- This study opens avenues for diverse industrial and biomedical uses of SPS-derived rGO.
