Graphene Oxide: Introduction and Market News - Page 43
Graphene can be used to clear drinking water
Korean researchers have made a new type of composite material made from reduced graphene oxide and magnetite that could effectively remove arsenic from drinking water. Arsenic is one of the most carcinogenic elements known and its presence in drinking water is a huge problem in many areas of South Asia and the western United States. Arsenic is usually removed using bare magnetite, but adding graphene makes it much more efficient.
The new magnetite composite was used to remove over 99.9% of arsenic in a sample. The composite can be dispersed in water, and then removed after it has absorbed the arsenic (by using a permanent hand-held magnet).
A Graphene-based structure can be used to hold hydrogen
A new research in the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the university of Pennsylvania is working towards a Graphene based structure that can be promising for capturing hydrogen. Graphene is not really suited to store hydrogen, but if you stack oxidized Graphene sheets (in a Graphene-Oxide-Framework, or GOF) than it can hold hydrogen in higher quantities. The team says that GOFs can store at least a hundred times more hydrogen than ordinary Graphene Oxide. This can potentially be very useful for fuel-cells or other applications.
Researchers find a way to make graphene - using camera flash
Northwestern University scientists have found a new, easy way to make graphene - using ordinary camera flash. The scientists exposed Graphite Oxide (which is cheap and widely available) to a camera flash, at room temperature. The flash triggers a de-oxygenation of the Graphite-Oxide.
New way to make graphene from graphite oxide using new reduction strategy
Researchers from Rice University in Texas found a new way to make graphene from graphite oxide. The team have carried out a thorough analysis of NMR spectroscopic data on graphite oxide to identify the various oxygen structures present within the material, and then worked out an efficient way to eliminate them by reduction.
The team used this information to devise a novel reduction strategy by first deoxygenating the graphite oxide sheets with sodium borohydride, followed by dehydration with concentrated sulphuric acid, and a final step of heating, or annealing. They say that their new method makes for more 'pure' graphite that any other reduction method.
