One-spot synthesis of FeOOH/rGO composites by ferrous-ion-induced self-assembly of graphene oxides with different degrees of oxidation.

• Main Authors: Yang Hu, Qingyang Yang, Yingyu Gu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2021-01-01
• Series: PLoS ONE
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0246386

In this study, graphene oxide sheets with different oxidation degrees were reduced by ferrous ion for coating FeOOH nano particles on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) matrix to synthesize FeOOH/rGO composites. The effect of the degree of oxidation on the morphology and chemical structure of FeOOH/rGO was studied using scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area analysis. The particle size of FeOOH crystallites was approximately 100 nm, and they were distributed uniformly on the surface and in the pores of FeOOH/rGO. FeOOH/rGO prepared with mildly oxidized graphite had fewer defects, higher specific surface area, and higher FeOOH content than FeOOH/rGO prepared with highly oxidized graphite. These features resulted in better electrochemical properties, such as larger specific capacitance and lower charge transfer resistance.