Synthesis of a zinc oxide/graphene hybrid material by the direct thermal decomposition of oxalate

Abstract

Hybrid materials of zinc (II) oxide (ZnO) nanocrystals and graphene are of current interest due to their cheap, Earth-abundant composition, low toxicity, and varied applications in photocatalysis, sensing, and electronics among others. We have developed a novel methodology for the synthesis of such materials utilizing the thermal decomposition of zinc (II) oxalate in solid-state solution with graphene nanoplatelets. Although the procedure simply involves precursor mixing and heating, electronic interaction between the ZnO and graphitic phases is spectroscopically observed in the hybrid material—beyond that of a homogeneous mixture of ZnO and graphene—via powder XRD, XPS, and ATR-IR spectroscopy. The synthetic method employed can be easily tuned for the desired hybrid product stoichiometry, and is easily industrially scalable with minimal chemical waste products.

Keywords

• ZnO
• zinc oxide
• graphene
• composite
• hybrid
• transparent conductor