Preparation and Characterization of Graphene Oxide Aerogels: Exploring the Limits of Supercritical CO2 Fabrication Methods.

Abstract

The supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2 ) synthesis of non-reduced graphene oxide (GO) aerogels from dispersions of GO in ethanol is here reported as a low-cost, efficient, and environmentally friendly process. The preparation is carried out under the mild conditions of 333 K and 20 MPa. The high aspect ratio of the used GO sheets (ca. 30 μm lateral dimensions) allowed the preparation of aerogel monoliths by simultaneous scCO2 gelation and drying. Solid-state characterization results indicate that a thermally-stable mesoporous non-reduced GO aerogel was obtained by using the supercritical procedure, keeping most of the surface oxygenated groups on the GO sheets, thus, facilitating further functionalization. Moreover, the monoliths have a very low density, high specific surface area, and excellent mechanical integrity; characteristics which rival those of most light-weight reduced graphene aerogels reported in the literature.