Open AccessSynthesis of a zinc oxide/graphene hybrid material by the direct thermal decomposition of oxalate
Author(s) -
Daniel J. Little,
Jacob Pfund,
Avery Ann McLain,
Jacqueline A. Sporie,
Sarah M. Lantvit,
Seth King
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
materials research express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.383
H-Index - 35
ISSN - 2053-1591
DOI - 10.1088/2053-1591/ab9779
Subject(s) - graphene , materials science , oxalate , oxide , x ray photoelectron spectroscopy , zinc , thermal decomposition , photocatalysis , chemical engineering , stoichiometry , hybrid material , thermal stability , ammonium oxalate , inorganic chemistry , nanotechnology , catalysis , chemistry , organic chemistry , metallurgy , engineering
Hybrid materials of zinc (II) oxide (ZnO) nanocrystals and graphene are of current interest due to their cheap, Earth-abundant composition, low toxicity, and varied applications in photocatalysis, sensing, and electronics among others. We have developed a novel methodology for the synthesis of such materials utilizing the thermal decomposition of zinc (II) oxalate in solid-state solution with graphene nanoplatelets. Although the procedure simply involves precursor mixing and heating, electronic interaction between the ZnO and graphitic phases is spectroscopically observed in the hybrid material—beyond that of a homogeneous mixture of ZnO and graphene—via powder XRD, XPS, and ATR-IR spectroscopy. The synthetic method employed can be easily tuned for the desired hybrid product stoichiometry, and is easily industrially scalable with minimal chemical waste products.