Graphene oxide: Synthesis and laser spectroscopy approach

Abstract

Nanotechnology research offers advancements in materials and industrial uses such as nano-electronics, medical sciences, fuel, biology, and technological innovation. The most often employed nanomaterial is Graphene oxide (GO), which has been regarded as a dominant progenitor for many specialized industries. The current work aims to establish a new, cost-effective, easy, and straightforward GO synthesis method. Laser spectroscopy and even traditional tools have been utilized for characterization. The prepared GO has been confirmed by XRD and FT-IR spectroscopy. Laser spectroscopy based on confocal microscopes like Raman micro-spectroscopy and fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) has been used to ensure the synthesis of GO. Also, it could help in the detection of the prepared layer thickness. Raman spectroscopy detects the number of GO layers, which is one on average, while the Raman mapping shows a good distribution of GO on the substrate. Based on excitation with a 445 nm pulsed laser, FLIM shows that mono GO layers cover most of the surface while only a tiny area contains more than a single layer. The novel aspect of this work is the method of preparation and the way of utilizing both FLIM and Raman to detect the number of GO layers. The prepared GO could be used in many applications like solar cells and filtration.