Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 3, 2026

Scalable Syntheses of Graphene Oxide and Reduced Graphene Oxide using Cascade Design Oxidation and Highly Basic Reduction Reactions
Published on: July 3, 2025
Graphene Oxide: Carbocatalyst or Reagent?
Stanislav Presolski1, Martin Pumera2
1Division of Science, Yale-NUS College, 16 College Ave West, Singapore, 138527, Singapore.
Abstract:
Metal-free heterogeneous carbon-based materials have the potential to facilitate a wide range of organic transformations in an economical and environmentally-friendly manner. However, the mechanism of their action is often obfuscated by their ill-defined nature, so careful analysis of the reaction products is essential before they can be labelled "catalysts" in accordance with the IUPAC definition. We present here our findings on the archetypal "carbocatalytic" conversion of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde, in which graphene oxide is reduced and a major side product, dibenzyl ether, is also formed. Thus, our work reclassifies graphene oxide as a reagent and presents an important step in the proper evaluation of reactions in the nascent field of carbocatalysis.
Related Concept Videos
Oxidation Numbers
EDTA: Auxiliary Complexing Reagents
Pyruvate Oxidation
First, the enzyme pyruvate dehydrogenase removes the carboxyl group from pyruvate and releases it as carbon dioxide. The stripped molecule is then oxidized and releases electrons, which are then picked up by NAD+...
Oxidation-Reduction Reactions
Acid Halides to Ketones: Gilman Reagent
As shown below, the mechanism proceeds in two steps. First, one of the alkyl groups of the reagent acts as a nucleophile and attacks the acyl carbon of the acid chloride to form a tetrahedral intermediate. This is followed by the reformation of the carbon–oxygen...
Preparation of Carboxylic Acids: Carboxylation of Grignard Reagents

