Renewable Resources as Promising Materials for Obtaining Graphene Oxide-like Structures

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Green Chemistry

Background:

• Graphene oxide (GO) production often relies on non-renewable resources.
• There is a growing need for sustainable and cost-effective methods for GO synthesis.
• Renewable plant biomass presents a promising alternative feedstock for nanomaterial production.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize graphene oxide (GO) from renewable birch activated carbon (BAC).
• To compare the properties of BAC-derived GO (BAC-GO) with graphite-derived GO (G-GO).
• To validate the potential of BAC-GO for large-scale nanostructured graphene production.

Main Methods:

• Oxidation of birch activated carbon (BAC) to produce BAC-GO.
• Synthesis of graphite-derived GO (G-GO) for comparative analysis.
• Characterization of physicochemical, mechanical, and electrical properties of BAC-GO and G-GO.

Main Results:

• Successful oxidation of BAC was confirmed, yielding BAC-GO.
• Physicochemical properties of BAC-GO correlated well with G-GO.
• Differences in properties were attributed to the starting material structure and functional groups.

Conclusions:

• Birch activated carbon is a viable, eco-friendly precursor for graphene oxide production.
• BAC-GO offers a cost-effective and scalable route to nanostructured graphene.
• BAC-GO has potential applications in nanoelectronics, medicine, and beyond.