A green synthetic approach to graphene nanosheets for hydrogen adsorption

A green and facile strategy of preparing graphene by reducing exfoliated graphite oxide (GO) with glucose was developed in this study. The as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Atomic force microscopy (AFM). The characterization results indicated that the graphene sheets (GS) were of high quality with smooth surface, rich pore structure and few layer graphene. The samples have a BET specific surface area of 1205.8 m2 g−1 measured by N2 adsorption at 77 K. The hydrogen storage capacity of 2.7 wt.% at 298 K and 25 bar demonstrated that the as-prepared graphene employing glucose as reductant is supposed to be a promising material with outstanding property for hydrogen storage.

This study propounds a green strategy of preparing graphene by reducing graphene oxide with glucose. The hydrogen adsorption experiment demonstrated that as-prepared graphene is supposed to be promising material with outstanding property for hydrogen storage. This opens a new approach for the synthesis of graphene with excellent properties.Highlights► Graphene sheets were prepared by a green and facile strategy based on glucose. ► The oxidized products of glucose can stabilize the as-prepared GS. ► Graphene sheets possessed single layer of graphene and 1205.8 m2 g−1 BET surface area. ► The hydrogen adsorption capacity of 2.7 wt.% at 298 K and 25 bar was obtained.