CO₂/Water Emulsions Stabilized by Partially Reduced Graphene Oxide

Using functional materials to stabilize emulsions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and water is a promising way to expand the utility of CO₂ and functional materials. Here we demonstrate for the first time that the partially reduced graphene oxide (rGO) can well stabilize the emulsion of CO₂ and water without the aid of any additional emulsifier or surface modification for rGO. More interestingly, such a novel kind of emulsion provides a facile and versatile route for constructing highly porous three-dimensional rGO materials, including rGO, metal/rGO, and metal oxide/rGO networks. The as-synthesized Au/rGO composite is highly active in catalyzing 4-nitrophenol reduction and styrene epoxidation.