Large scale production of highly conductive reduced graphene oxide sheets by a solvent-free low temperature reduction

A novel one-pot process that can produce freestanding reduced graphene oxide (RGO) sheets in large scale through a mechanochemical method is presented, which is based on a 1:1 adduct of hydrazine and carbon dioxide (H3N+NHCO2−, solid hydrazine). We were able to synthesize RGO sheets by grinding solid hydrazine with graphene oxide (GO), followed by storing the mixed powder at 50 °C for 10 min. No solvents, nor large vessels, nor post-annealing at high temperatures are required. The resulting RGO sample was characterized by elemental analysis, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller measurement, thermo gravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, solid state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and conductivity measurement. It exhibits excellent conductivity and possesses a high specific surface area. This reduction method was successfully applied for the fabrication of inkjet-printed RGO devices on a flexible substrate.