Abstract
A new, easy and green method is utilized for producing silver decorated graphene for its application in sensors and supercapacitors. The biomass-derived silver decorated graphene (AgGr) samples are prepared using an APCVD reactor with varying the process temperature from 600 to 800 °C. The as-synthesized AgGr samples were then characterized by AFM, SEM, Raman spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, XRD, cyclic voltammetry and impedance spectroscopy. The interlayer spacing and ID/IG ratio of the AgGr samples varied from 3.6 to 3.7 Å and 0.87 to 1.52, respectively, as the process temperature was raised from 600 to 800 °C. The SEM image shows the distribution of the flower-like structure of Ag flakes in the graphene sheet for the AgGr-800 sample. Also, the greater number of active sites on the surface of AgGr-800 and the presence of a higher number of defects makes it least useful for p-nitrophenol sensing due to the excess opening of the CV curve but has a maximum capacitance of 93.5 Fg−1 in 1 M H2SO4. AgGr-600 showed extremely good sensing of p-nitrophenol than the other AgGr samples. Therefore this novel technique can be utilized for the large scale manufacture of various metal decorated graphene samples for their application in different fields.
Highlights
Graphene is a transparent sheet-like structure with the two-dimensional network of sp[2] hybridized carbon arranged in a honeycomb structure
The current research work mainly focuses on i) the biomass synthesis of AgGr sample using onion as raw material, ii) investigation of the different properties of the as-synthesized AgGr samples, iii) investigation of the voltammetric sensing of PNP using the AgGr samples synthesized at different process temperature and iv) investigation of the supercapacitive behavior of AgGr electrodes in 1 M H2SO4
For AgGr-800 the AgNPs resulted in the formation of the well-dispersed and homogeneous flower-like structure of properly arranged and loosely packed silver nanosheets. It is understandable from the SEM images that at the lower process temperature of 600 °C, the number of AgNPs is dispersed on the surface of the graphene sheet, whereas for AgGr-800 the silver nanoflakes are embedded inside the graphene sheet making it more porous in nature
Summary
Graphene is a transparent sheet-like structure with the two-dimensional network of sp[2] hybridized carbon arranged in a honeycomb structure. Among the different metal nanoparticles, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are one of the most commonly used metal nanoparticles due to their superior electrical, electrochemical and sensing properties than the other metal nanoparticles[6] The decoration of such metal nanoparticles on the graphene sheet can enhance the properties of the graphene sheet to many fold times with their applications in various fields[7,8,9]. Silver decorated graphene is one of the most widely used materials in different fields like sensing, energy-storage, medicines and in industries due to their tremendous chemical and physical properties. The extremely good electrical and electrochemical properties allow their extensive applications for supercapacitors as well as for the sensing of various toxic chemicals. The exclusive properties of AgNP/graphene composites have recently increased the huge interest of the researchers to develop easy and facile synthesis techniques and to use these composites in the field of energy storage and sensor technology. The current research work mainly focuses on i) the biomass synthesis of AgGr sample using onion as raw material, ii) investigation of the different properties of the as-synthesized AgGr samples, iii) investigation of the voltammetric sensing of PNP using the AgGr samples synthesized at different process temperature and iv) investigation of the supercapacitive behavior of AgGr electrodes in 1 M H2SO4
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