Atomic scale imaging and spectroscopic characterization of electrochemically reduced graphene oxide

We report on the synthesis of graphene through the simple electrochemical reduction of graphite oxide (GO) on gold electrodes from an aqueous dispersion of GO at cathodic potentials determined by cyclic voltammetry measurements. The removal of the oxygen-containing functional groups and chemical structural changes during the electrochemical reduction were monitored by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy. The atomic structure and size of reduced GO nanostructures on Au(111) were characterized using scanning tunneling microscopy. The results showed that the electrochemical technique could be used for the synthesis of reduced GO and graphene-based nanomaterials. These findings are promising for the development of an electrochemical approach for the direct fabrication of reduced GO electrodes without additional modifications in electrochemical applications.