Green synthesis of reduced graphene oxide using green tea extract

Abstract

Researchers studied graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO), to explore its usefulness in different fields and applications. To produce rGO using conventional method at low-cost and environmental-friendly is a huge challenge because it involves harmful and hazardous chemicals such as hydrazine hydrate. Therefore, scientists proposed several green reducing agents as an alternative method to produce a same product. This research presents an outline and discussion of green synthesis of rGO using green tea extract as the reducing agents by manipulating their reaction time. Besides, it also gives an overview on the characterization of GO and rGO by analysing them using X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) with Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Fourier Transmission Infrared (FTIR) and Ultraviolet-visible Spectroscopy (UV-Vis). XRD spectra has proven the GO and rGO were successfully synthesised by exhibiting the peak at 9.75 nm and 25.42 nm respectively. In SEM images, wrinkled and flaky structures were observed in both GO and rGO while the EDX showed the composition of them. Moreover, the FTIR analysis suggested that the amount of oxygen functional groups in GO were decreased when it was reduced to rGO whereas the UV-Vis spectra proved the presence of absorption peak of GO (230 nm) and rGO (280 nm) accurately at different locations. Thus, the objectives of this research were achieved, and this green method can be a substitution to lower down the rely on chemical substances.