Superior dispersions of reduced graphene oxide synthesized by using gallic acid as a reductant and stabilizer

Abstract

Graphene oxide was reduced by natural gallic acid at room temperature and upon heating. Gallic acid functioned as both a reductant and stabilizer during the reaction. The reduction of graphene oxide was verified by UV-vis, IR, Raman spectroscopy and XPS. Moreover, the reduced graphene oxide (rGO) exhibited the best dispersibility ever reported both in water and in organic solvents because of the gallic acid stabilizer. For example, the dispersibility of the rGO synthesized at room temperature is up to 1.2 mg ml−1 in water and 4 mg ml−1 in dimethylsulfoxide, respectively. This study offers a green approach to the mass preparation of rGO with excellent dispersibility.