UV-assisted reduction of graphite oxide to graphene by using a photoinitiator

Being a highly promising material, graphene has triggered a great attention within researchers as-well-as has obtained some achievements in specific application areas. However, applying graphene to electronic devices via a facile method has proven to be difficult. Here, we have fabricated graphene by reducing graphene oxide (GO) under a 395 nm ultraviolet (UV) irradiation in a suspension containing Bis(cyclopentadienyl)bis[2,6-difluoro-3-(1-pyrryl)phenyl]titanium (GR-FMT) and GO. GR-FMT is an efficient free-radical type of photoinitiator, which is commonly used in photoresists. GO quickly reduces to graphene by accepting electrons generated by the decomposition of the GR-FMT photoinitiator under UV irradiation. Here, the GR-FMT plays both reductant and deoxidant roles and highly improves the reducing reaction efficiency. Photo etching is a commonly used technique in electronic device technology; however, its application to the mass production of GO, to be used in practical nano-devices and integrated circuits, is still an unresolved problem. To address this problem, in this work, graphene oxide is suspended in ethanol and it undergoes reduction by the UV-irradiated GR-FMT suspension; the corresponding mechanism is explored. This methodology turns out to be a novel and facile UV-assisted reduction technique with the advantage of being time-efficient and energy-efficient, simple, scalable, and environmental friendly.