Electrochemistry of ZnO@reduced graphene oxides

Abstract

To explore electrochemistry of the composites of ZnO and reduced graphene oxides (rGO), graphene oxide (GO) was in-situ reduced with Zn powders. The morphology and micro-structure of synthesized ZnO@rGO composites were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and atomic force microscope. Energy dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman, and Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy were employed to clarify the chemical composition of ZnO@rGO composites. Electrochemical properties of ZnO@rGO composites were studied using cyclic voltammetry and impedance, revealing a large surface area and many active sites. Accordingly, electrochemical sensing of a neutral organic dye Sudan I and a charged metal ion Pb2+ was achieved on ZnO@rGO composites. The strategy of in-situ reduction of GO with Zn powders thus owns great application prospects in constructing a universal and sensitive electrochemical sensing platform.