Controllable formation of graphene and graphene oxide sheets using photo-catalytic reduction and oxygen plasma treatment

¹ Nano-Physics Research Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
² Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

^a e-mail: y.abdi@ut.ac.ir

Received: 26 August 2012
Revised: 24 October 2012
Accepted: 29 October 2012
Published online: 12 December 2012

Abstract

Au/SiO₂/Si interdigital electrodes with thickness of 1 μm were created on silicon substrate. Graphene oxide (GO) sheets hanging from these electrodes were obtained by spin coating of chemically synthesized GO dispersed in water. We used UV-light-induced photo-catalytic activity of titanium oxide nanoparticles to reduce the GO layer. Effects of the photo-induced chemical reduction on the conductivity of the GO were investigated. Also, low power DC plasma was used for oxidation of the sheets. Oxygen bombardment leads to sheets with low electrical conductivity. Measurements show that graphene and GO sheets with the controlled electrical conductivity were obtained by these processes. Scanning electron and atomic force microscopy were used to study the morphology of the TiO₂/GO and graphene structures. X-ray diffraction and Raman scattering analysis were used to verify the structural characteristics of the prepared sheets. Analysis showed a gradual increase in the number of C-O bonds on the surface of the graphene layer as a result of increasing the time of plasma bombardment. Based on the Raman spectroscopy, the photo-catalytic activity of TiO₂ nanoparticles resulted in a decrease in the number of C-O bonds.