Synthesis Of Reduced Graphene Oxide Research Articles

Characterization and electrochemical properties analysis of reduced graphene oxide from corncob carbon as an electrode candidate: Synthesized using modified Hummers method

This research aims to synthesize and characterize reduced graphene oxide (RGO), as well as analyse its electrochemical properties. The synthesis of RGO material from corn cobs went through several stage: carbonization, oxidation and reduction. The synthesis of RGO used a modified Hummer method, and was reduced using the reducing agent ascorbic acid. The synthesized RGO was then characterized using Fourier Transform Independent Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS). Electrochemical analysis using the cyclic voltammetry method, the specific capacitance value obtained showed that RGO had a higher capacitance value than GO. The research results showed that carbon from corn cobs, which has not been utilized optimally, can be synthesized as a basic material for making RGO as a quite promising material.

An Informative Review on Green Synthesis of Reduced Graphene Oxide by Phytoextracts

Graphene in the form of film, fiber, fabrics and composites is widely investigated research area because of its remarkable physical, chemical and thermal properties. The acceptance of plant-derived products to synthesize graphene or reduced graphene oxide (RGO) has the supremacy of environmentally friendly, mild reaction condition, sustainability, cost effective and simple reaction procedure compared with conventional chemical synthesis methods. To synthesize RGO from graphene oxide (GO) in traditional chemical reduction method, highly toxic and hazardous reducing agents, capping agents, solvents are generally employed which severely affect and threaten ecological equilibrium and human well-being. In this paper, different highly facile and eco-friendly, low-cost green synthesis of RGO using aqueous plant extracts have been surveyed. The phytochemical present in plant extract, methods of preparation of the extract, detection of phytochemical present in extract, preparation of GO, methods of reduction of GO, mechanism of reduction of GO by greener way are discussed.

Reduced graphene oxide synthesis by hummer method

In this study, Graphite Oxide (GO) film with a 2-D structure was successfully synthesized via the Hummer method. The GO film was further reduced by hydrazine to form a few layers of graphene. The graphite oxide and reduced graphene oxide synthesized in this study were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Raman spectroscopy, and XRD analysis. A low-cost method using simple chemicals was employed to synthesize GO films with high conductivity on a large scale. The synthesized reduced graphene oxide can serve as an excellent material for various applications due to its lower cost and higher thermal, mechanical, and electrical conductivity. Large surface area graphene-based sensors and solar cells can efficiently replace expensive Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs).

Novel Simarouba glauca extract mediated biocompatible reduction of graphene oxide for robust scavenging of dyes and promising electrochemical applications

Dyes and pharmaceutical products are major environmental contaminants in the effluent of various industries such as cosmetics, textiles, pharmaceuticals, etc. Moreover, these non-biodegradable pollutants are frequently discharged into the water media without adequate precautions. Because of their intricate aromatic structures, dyes are resistant to natural degradation processes. As a result, various treatment techniques have been developed to remove dyes. Green synthesis is one such environmental technique regarding an alternative perception for the degradation of harmful materials like heavy metals, dyes etc. by exploiting biological samples. Therefore, in the present study dye adsorption and desorption studies of the green synthesised reduced graphene oxide (RGO) were investigated. The study presents an effective green reduction method for the facile synthesis of RGO using novel Simarouba/(Lakshmi Taru) extract through the reflux method at a temperature of 90 °C. As synthesised RGO has been analysed by SEM, XRD, Raman, UV–visible, Photoluminescence, TGA analysis, and FTIR studies. Cyclic voltammetry study exhibited a substantial improvement in current density for the RGO-3 hr sample. The maximum reduction efficiency of RGO accomplished using 100 ml of Simarouba extract was found to be 80% and it exhibits an outstanding capacity for the removal of dye with 94% efficiency. It was reported that Rhodamine B dyes were completely adsorbed within 10 min using 20 mg of RGO. It is investigated that adsorption follows langmuir isotherm model and pseudo-second-order kinetics. The thermodynamic studies specified that the whole adsorption is spontaneous, endothermic and physisorption in nature. The electrostatic interaction between the negatively charged surface of graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide and positively charged surface of rhodamine B is responsible for the high affinity of adsorption of the graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide. The proposed study reports the synthesis of highly stable and recyclable green-reduced GO by a cost-effective and eco-friendly technique.

Reduced graphene oxide synthesis by dry planetary ball milling followed by arc plasma treatment of high pure graphite

Abstract We have successfully prepared a challenging and wonderful material, reduced graphene oxide (RGO)/graphene with improved quality from high pure graphite (HPG) efficiently by planetary ball milling process followed by arc plasma treatment under hydrogen atmosphere. Graphene oxides (GO) have been synthesized with varying degrees of oxidation via the planetary ball milling route by milling HPG between 3 – 8 h. The lowest C/O ratio (0.965) was observed for the 8 h ball milled sample. The as-prepared GOs were taken for only five min of arc plasma treatment under a hydrogen atmosphere. As the typical GO (prepared by 8 h ball milling) underwent a reduction by plasma treatment for producing a typical RGO sample, it was found that the C/O ratio increased from 0.965 in GO to 14.86 in RGO. RGO shows a hexagonal structure with well-defined crystallinity. Bi-layered and transparent types of structures were found in the RGO sample. The typical plasma treated RGO sample (prepared from 8 h ball milled GO sample) exhibits extraordinary BET surface area and electrical conductivity values of 1230.0 m2 g−1 and 4.587 × 103 S cm−1, respectively, compared to those of HPG.

Waste plastic derived reduced graphene oxide as a potential additive for the surfactant polymer flooding: A sustainable solution

The twenty-first century's major problems are the demand for sustainable green energy and the eco-friendly upcycling of plastic waste. The solutions to these problems should have an alluring cost-effective industrial synergy. Tackling these issues address the clean energy generation concerns and the long-term preservation of the economy and environment from plastic waste. This study focuses on upcycling waste plastics into reduced graphene oxide (RGO) and their application in enhanced oil recovery. Raman and TEM analysis confirmed the successful synthesis of RGOs. In addition, FTIR helps study the presence of functional groups and TGA for thermal stability analysis. The RGO improves the oil recovery by altering wettability, reducing surface tension / interfacial tension, and minimizing surfactant loss. The surface / interfacial property and wetting attributes of the RGO-based prepared solution were examined by surface tension and contact angle measurement. The surface tension and contact angle reduction using RGO were ∼25% and ∼20% without surfactant. Whereas with surfactant (anionic, cationic, and nonionic) and RGO, the reduction in surface tension was ∼55%, ∼57%, and ∼57%, respectively. Also, the reduction in contact angle with surfactant was ∼83%, ∼46%, and ∼80% for anionic, cationic, and nonionic surfactant with RGO particles. The chemical slug's viscosity was then examined at elevated temperatures. The viscosity results follow the power law model to comprehend fluid flow behavior. Finally, the chemical slug consisting of a surfactant mixture, RGO particles, and an industrial-grade polymer was used in the sand pack flooding studies recovering ∼71% of the original oil in place.

A Green and Eco-Friendly Synthesis of Reduced Graphene Oxide Using the Aqueous Extracts of Artabotrys Hexapetalus and Bauhinia Tomentosa as a Reducing Agent

Synthesis of r-Graphene oxide from GO by reduction using plant extracts as a green reducing agent is nowadays carried out to avoid the impact of toxic, harmful chemicals on the environment. In this context, this present investigation an eco-friendly, non-toxic, and green reducing agents of namely leaf extracts of Artabotrys hexapetalus and Bauhinia tomentosa was used to convert the Graphene oxide (GO) to Reduced Graphene Oxide (RGO). The synthesized GO and RGO were characterized through UV–Visible spectroscopy,Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), 3D optical profilometer, Thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA), and Zeta potential analysis. UV-visible, FT-IR, and XRD results showed the partial removal of oxygen containing groups from the GO and the formation of RGO. Reduction of GO and the formation of RGO was confirmed by the increasing carbon ratio and decreasing oxygen ratio in the results of EDX analysis. SEM results clearly indicated the formation of multiple layers of RGO. Thermal stability of the synthesized RGO was analyzed by Thermo gravimetric study. Surface charge characteristics of GO and RGO were analyzed by zeta potential measurement. All these results confirmed the inexpensive and eco-friendly synthesis of RGO.

Estimation of Microwave Absorption Properties of RGO-SiC-LLDPE Composites

The present work investigate the microwave absorption properties of reduced graphene oxide (RGO)-Silicon carbide (SiC)-Linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) composites prepared in different concentration of fillers(10, 20, 30, 40 wt. %) with LLDPE matrix. Synthesis of RGO is confirmed from XRD analysis and SiC is used as received from supplier. Complex permittivity of the composites is measured using Nicolson Ross method showing an increasing trend with increasing filler concentrations with maximum and for 40 wt. % composite sample. Based on transmission line theory and using measured value of complex permittivity, conductor backed single and double layer absorber is designed by thickness optimization. The calculated reflection loss (RLc) value of ~-71 dB at 11.23 GHz is observed for 40 wt. % composite sample of 7 mm thickness with -10 dB absorption bandwidth of 1.48 GHz and -20 dB bandwidth of 0.64 GHz.

Green synthesis of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) using the plant extract of Salvia spinosa and evaluation of photothermal effect on pancreatic cancer cells

Pancreatic cancer (PC, uncontrollable cell growth in pancreas) shows no symptoms until advancement and thus it become difficult to diagnose at early stages. The treatment strategies for PC include chemotherapy, surgery, and radiotherapy. However, the recovery rate is very low and thus an effective alternative treatment is required to fight against PC. Therefore, the present was attempted to evaluate the photothermal destruction of PC cells by biologically reduced graphene oxide (RGO). The plant extract of Salvia spinosa was found to facilitate the conversion of graphene oxide (GO) to RGO, due to presence of numerous bioactive molecules. The biomolecules act as a reducing agent and this process paves the way for green technology. The green synthesized RGO was analyzed through various characterization techniques (spectroscopic methods: ultra-violet visible (UV-Vis); fourier-transform infrared (FTIR); X-ray diffraction (XRD); Raman; X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and microscopic method: scanning electron microscope, SEM). The results indicate that green synthesis of RGO is simple, economical and eco-friendlier. An evaluation of photothermal conversion efficacy revealed that green-synthesized RGO has the ability to enhance the temperature to a greater extent in comparison to GO. Furthermore, cell viability assay performed through MTT dye revealed the non-toxic nature of RGO. Nevertheless, it significantly destructed the PC cells (Panc02-H7) after exposing the RGO loaded PC cells to laser radiation. The obtained results were further corroborated through live/dead cell assay.

Physicochemical and antibacterial characterization of Aspergillus sp. filtrate-reduced graphene oxide

Graphene-based nanomaterials are rapidly emerging as antimicrobial agents against a range of pathogenic microorganisms. In the present study, we have demonstrated the synthesis of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) using Aspergillus sp. filtrate as a reducing agent. The obtained Aspergillus sp. filtrate-RGO (AF-RGO) was characterized by ultraviolet–visible absorption spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and atomic force spectroscopy to obtain details about the size, composition, structure, and morphology. The characterization confirmed the reduction of graphene oxide, the restoration of sp2 conjugation, and the formation of few-layered RGO sheets. The surface charge and stability of the AF-RGO in aqueous media were examined by zeta potential measurements. The thermal stability of AF-RGO was increased significantly due to the restoration of the graphitic sp2 network. The antibacterial activity of AF-RGO was evaluated using the agar well diffusion method, broth microdilution method, and Live/Dead bacterial viability assay. AF-RGO exhibited good antibacterial activities against pathogenic Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) and Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) bacteria with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values of 15 and 30 mg/ml, respectively. Therefore, fungal filtrate-mediated synthesis of RGO is a promising antibacterial carbon nanomaterial for a range of biomedical and nano(bio)technological applications.

A Novel Approach to Synthesize Reduced Graphene Oxide (RGO) at Low Thermal Conditions

Reduced graphene oxide (RGO) or graphene as it is commonly referred to is currently the most promising nanomaterial with potential applications. Synthesis of RGO starts with oxidation of graphite to graphene oxide (GO) which is further reduced either by chemical or thermal means. However, chemical reduction of GO to RGO involves the use of toxic chemical reagents which are not environmental friendly. Hence, in this work, low-temperature thermal reduction has been utilized to obtain high-quality RGO from GO effectively at a temperature of only 50 °C. The precursor of RGO which is GO is synthesized by modification of Improved Hummer’s method (Marcano et al. in ACS Nano 4(8):4806–4814, 2010), a non-toxic and non-explosive method of GO production. The highly exothermic reactions in producing GO are controlled by using ice baths with magnetic stirring. The prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, Scanning electron microscopy and Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. All four characterizations confirm the efficient oxidation and reduction that has taken place to produce GO and RGO-4. (RGO formed on the 7th day of the reduction process.) XRD peak of GO at 10.46° corresponding to (001) plane indicating an interplanar spacing of 0.80 nm confirms the proper oxidation of graphite to GO. However, after thermal reduction at 50 °C the 2θ peak of GO at 10.46° shifts to 2θ = 24.15° with an interplanar spacing of 0.36 nm that confirms the formation of RGO-4 with retention of most of the sp2 structures by proper reduction of the oxygenated functional groups of GO. The GO produced is hydrophilic in nature due to existence of large number of oxygen-containing functional groups as shown in FTIR analysis. Raman results show that after reduction of GO to RGO-4 at 50 °C, the ID/IG ratio decreased significantly from 1.93 of GO to 1.00 of RGO-4 indicating highly reduced defects density in RGO-4.

Utilization of green reductant Thuja Orientalis for reduction of GO to RGO

It is well known that graphene (G), graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxides (RGO) are materials of today with immense application potentials. However, to realize the same large scale, reproducible, sustainable synthesis techniques such as greener methods which avoid utilization of toxic chemicals for synthesis, must be adopted. It is in this context, that here we report the reduction of GO to RGO by the extract of Thuja Orientalis (TO) seeds. As such, TO is a well-known bio-resource for medicinal and various other biotechnological applications as it contains Alpha Tocopherol, the major constituent of vitamin E. To the best of our knowledge, despite the wealth of literature, the current work makes a pioneering effort in applying TO seeds extract for reduction of GO to RGO. Thus, the reduction of GO, synthesized by the well-known modified Hummer's method to RGO by TO extract, is confirmed from the results obtained by ultra-violet visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis, selected area electron diffraction (SAED), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and especially, gas chromatograph mass spectrometry (GCMS) techniques. Furthermore, the GCMS study is used to identify the compound Alpha Tocopherol responsible for reduction of GO to RGO. Based on current experimental evidences and literature views, the possible mechanism of reduction is suggested. Finally, the implications of present studies in the perspective of large scale, sustainable synthesis of RGO for various technological applications are discussed.

Synthesis of Reduced Graphene Oxide Supported Zero-valent Iron and Its Treatment of TNT Wastewater

Synthesis of Reduced Graphene Oxide Supported Zero-valent Iron and Its Treatment of TNT Wastewater

Reduced graphene oxide synthesis by dry planetary ball milling technique under hydrogen atmosphere

This study reports a new, versatile and eco-friendly approach to produce high quality and high purity reduced graphene oxide (graphene) from natural graphite by dry planetary ball milling technique under hydrogen atmosphere. The morphology, structure and composition of high purity graphite (HPG), graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (RGO)/graphene have been characterized using various analytical techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) with selected area electron diffraction (SAED) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). XRD and XPS studies reveal the successful reduction of oxygen content from GO to prepare RGO. The RGO product analyzed by XRD and SAED show the efficient restoration of the hexagonal graphitic structure. From XPS result it is evident that the RGO has a C/O ratio of 17.51 which is among the best RGOs prepared with green reducing agents. TEM further provides clear support of the formation of graphene sheets in RGO.

Simultaneous Electrochemical Determination of L-Dopa and Melatonin Using Rgo-Spinel Nanocomposite Modified Platinum Electrode

Melatonin(N-acetyl-5-methoxy tryptamine) is a paracrine hormone secreted by pineal gland in the brain. This endogenous hormone has the ability to maintain the body circadian rhythm.1 3,4-dihydroxy-L-phenylalanine (L-Dopa) is the intermediate precursor of the neurotransmitter dopamine. L-dopa,as one of catecholamines, is widely used as a source of dopamine in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease and epilepsy.2 Here, we report a sensor based on Platinum electrode modified with hydrothermally synthesised RGO and spinel nano ferrate for the simultaneous determination of L-Dopa and Melatonin.Graphene oxide (GO)is a graphene derived material with oxygen containing functional groups. Graphene is a material with honey comb like structure of carbon atoms having sp2 bonding character. It exhibits high electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity and mechanical strength.GO containing functional groups like –OH, -COOH etc., acts as the site for the nucleation of metal oxide nano particles.It improves direct electron transfer between the electrode and the redox species by accelerating the electron transfer and enlarging the effective surface area.3 GO was synthesized by modified Hummers method. Reduced graphene oxide (RGO) has been prepared by various reduction methods such as chemical, microwave, electrochemical, thermal, solvothermal, hydrothermal etc by reducing its oxygen content.4 We employed a green synthetic pathway of hydrothermal method for RGO synthesis to avoid hazardous chemical species and vigorous reaction conditions. Copper Cobalt ferrate (CuCoFe2O4) which is a spinel nanocomposite was synthesised by sol-gel method and RGO/Spinel nanocomposite was prepared by physical mixing.5 The prepared RGO spinel nanocomposite was characterized by using various techniques like FTIR, XRD, SEM-EDAX etc.The electrocatalytic activity of RGO/Spinel nanocomposite anchored platinum electrode for the simultaneous determination of melatonin and L-Dopa was studied using several voltammetric techniques. Bare platinum electrode was able to sense melatonin and L-Dopa both individually, but not simultaneously. Compared to RGO modified Platinum electrode, RGO-Spinel ferrate/Pt electrode exhibited good response in terms of lower potential of electrooxidation of L-Dopa and melatonin with enhanced catalytic current with a peak separation of 0.48V. The simultaneous square wave voltammetric determination of L-Dopa and melatonin on RGO modified Platinum electrode and RGO-Spinel ferrate/Pt electrode are shown in Fig. 1. This enhancement in electrochemical performance is due to the increase in surface area as well as conductivity of the platinum electrode upon modification of RGO with spinel nanocomposite which act as an excellent electrochemical oxidant for L-Dopa and melatonin.

Effects of various vitamin C amounts on the green synthesis of reduced graphene oxide

Abstract In this study, a simple and green chemistry approach is described for the preparation of reduced graphene oxide (RGO). To this aim, we used a novel reducing agent (vitamin C) for the synthesis of RGO. The GO was reduced at different weight ratios of vitamin C:GO (1:1, 1.5:1 and 2:1). The XRD, FTIR and EDS results showed the deoxygenation of GO due to the loss of hydroxyl, carbonyl, and epoxy groups. The thermal stability of the GO was lower than those of all the RGO powders, and the BET surface area of the GO was much lower than those of all the RGO powders. The results showed that the structural and thermal properties of RGO powders depend on the ratio of vitamin C:GO. When the ratio is 1:1, the RGO powder has the best thermal stability, and the highest BET surface area (m2g−1) was found to be a 2:1 ratio.

Ecofriendly synthesized reduced graphene oxide embellished marsh marigold-like zinc oxide nanocomposite based on ultrasonication technique for the sensitive detection of environmental pollutant hydroquinone.

A novel electrochemical sensor using reduced graphene oxide (RGO) decorated marsh marigold-like zinc oxide (ZnO) nanocomposite for the detection of hydroquinone (HQ) is detailed in this paper. We have adopted an ecofriendly preparation procedure for the synthesis of RGO and the synthesis of marsh marigold-like ZnO is carried out using aqueous solution method. The RGO/ZnO nanocomposite is prepared based on ultrasonication technique using a high-intensity ultrasonic bath DC200H (200 W/cm2, 40 kHz) and is followed by its precise fabrication on glassy carbon electrode (GCE). Characterizations including X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and UV visible spectroscopy of ZnO nanoparticles, RGO, and RGO/ZnO nanocomposite are analyzed in this work. Different electrochemical studies were performed in this work to investigate performance of the proposed electrochemical sensor and cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) techniques are used to achieve this. The oxidation and reduction peak currents of RGO/ZnO modified GCE exhibited sharp peaks at very low potential of 0.13 V and 0.06 V respectively. We have obtained a high sensitivity of 8.08 μA μM-1 cm-2, ultra-low limit of detection (LOD) value of 0.01 μM, and a broad linear range of 0.1-92 μM for the proposed sensor. Moreover, the fabricated sensor exhibited excellent selectivity, good reproducibility, stability, and repeatability revealing the high efficiency of the proposed sensor. Furthermore, experiments were conducted to examine the practical feasibility of the developed sensor. The electrochemical studies conducted as part of the work shows that RGO/ZnO nanocomposite is an apt material for the highly sensitive and efficient detection of HQ.

Impact of synthesis conditions on Pb(II) removal efficiency from aqueous solution by green tea extract reduced graphene oxide

Graphene has a great potential in environmental remediation due to its unique physical and chemical properties. However, the relationships between synthetic conditions and contaminant removal are still unclear. In this study, a biogenic method was used for the reduction of graphene oxide (GO) using green tea extract and the reduced graphene oxide (RGO) produced was subsequently used to remove Pb(II) from aqueous solution. Hence, the impact of bioreduction synthetic conditions of RGO on Pb(II) removal efficiency was examined. The new findings included (1) that reduction of GO by green tea (GT) extract at a ratio of 2:1 (GO:GT), 80 °C and pH 8, led to a RGO material capable of removing 97.2% of a 10 mg·L−1 Pb(II) solution under the adsorption conditions of pH 4.5 and a RGO dose of 0.4 g·L−1 at 30 °C; (2) characterization results showed good dispersion of RGO, and removal of oxygen functional groups from GO, increased Pb(II) adsorption. Pb(II) removal efficiency was largely dependent on reduction conditions during synthesis of RGO; where efficient removal of oxygen-containing groups during reduction favored Pb(II) removal. Furthermore, during biogenic synthesis RGO was also capped by biomolecules such as polyphenols which decreased aggregation leading to enhanced Pb(II) removal efficiency.

Properties of radiation vulcanised natural rubber latex (RVNRL)–graphene nanocomposites

Graphene-related materials such as graphene oxide (GO)/exfoliated graphene oxide (XGO) and reduced graphene oxide (RGO) recently achieved much interest in nanocomposite research. In this study, we report the synthesis of RGO by a green route, and its efficacy as a potential filler for radiation-vulcanised natural rubber latex (RVNRL) was explored. The synthesised XGO and RGO suspensions were characterised. The mechanical, morphological and electrical properties of the RVNRL-XGO/RGO nanocomposites were evaluated as a function of filler content. The percolation threshold of the RVNRL-RGO composite was 0.1 wt%. Compared with gum RVNRL, significant improvements in tensile strength and elongation at break were obtained for RVNRL-XGO nanocomposites at 1 wt% XGO loading, indicating increased polymer–filler interaction. The morphological results showed aggregation of filler particles at a concentration of 1.25 wt%.

Proppants Development and the Shale Oil and Gas Market Perspective

Unconventional shale gas reservoirs have driven the growth of the oil and gas market to a new reality: till 2035 a 26% increase in US fuel production is predicted. Thus, the hydraulic fracturing technique has been increasingly used as a resource for shale gas extraction and the consequent use of proppants. Several studies have now evaluated the use of nanostructures to produce special proppants, such as nanosensors, coatings, membranes and special fluids. This work presents the perspective of the market for oil, gas, shale, hydraulic fracturing and proppants in addition to a current development of proppants. Proppants were characterized through API RP 19C, DTA and DRX analysis. The morphology of carbon nanostructures (carbon nanotubes, carbon black and few layers’ graphite from reduced graphene oxide synthesis) produced and introduced on AM (alkali-activated metakaolin) matrix composites were evaluated using scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM).