Electrochemically reduced graphene oxide sheets for use in high performance supercapacitors

• Published in: Carbon (New York) Vol. 51; pp. 36 - 44
• Main Authors: Yang, Jiang, Gunasekaran, Sundaram
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.01.2013; Elsevier
• Subjects: Capacitors; Carbon; Charge transfer; Chemistry; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Cycles; Electrochemistry; Electrolytes; Energy storage; Exact sciences and technology; Fullerenes and related materials; diamonds, graphite; General and physical chemistry; Graphene; Materials science; Oxides; Physics; Specific materials; Oxygen; Stability; Electrochemical method; Storage; Energy; Reagents; Electrochemistry; Capacitance; Electrolytes; Electrokinetic potential; Green chemistry; Graphene oxide; Charge transfer; Functional group
• ISSN: 0008-6223; 1873-3891
• DOI: 10.1016/j.carbon.2012.08.003

Graphene oxide (GO) was reduced by a rapid, effective and eco-friendly electrochemical method of repetitive cathodic cyclic potential cycling, without using any reducing reagents. The electrochemically reduced graphene oxide (ERGO) was characterized by UV–vis, EIS and zeta-potential measurements. Most of the oxygen functional groups in ERGO were successfully removed resulting in smaller charge transfer resistance. However, some electrochemically stable residuals still remained, enabling ERGO to facilitate electrolyte penetration and pseudocapacitance. Since ERGO was readily stabilized by cathodic potential cycling, it exhibited an outstanding stability in cycle life, nearly with no capacitive loss from the second cycle on. A specific capacitance of 223.6Fg−1 was achieved at 5mVs−1, which makes the ERGO a competitive material for electrochemical energy storage.