Synthesis of Hybrid Reduced Graphene Oxide Decorated with Ru(bpy)3(2+)-Doped Silica Nanoparticles

Hybrid materials consisting of electrically conductive reduced graphene oxide (RGO) and Ru(bpy)3(2+)-doped silica (Ru@SiO2) nanoparticles were synthesized by hydrolysis of TEOS in the presence of Ru(bpy)3Cl2 and RGO. Many spherical Ru@SiO2 nanoparticles, of an average size of 96 nm, were observed to be strongly anchored on a planar RGO surface in SEM and TEM images. FTIR and EDS analyses confirmed the chemical compositions and functional groups of Ru@SiO2 and partially reduced RGO. The RGO prepared by 200 degrees C thermal treatment of GO in N2 was probed to have a multilayered sheet structure by XRD. An absorption spectrum of the hybrid exhibited a considerable red-shift in the characteristic visible peak of free Ru(bpy)3(2+) centered at 452 nm due to electrostatic interactions between Ru(bpy)3(2+) and negatively charged silica, indicating strong immobilization of Ru(bpy)3(2+) in the silica matrix.