Synthesis and Structural Characterization of ZnO-GrapheneNanocomposite by Chemical Co-Precipitation Method

Abstract

Graphene has attracted the scientific research community due to its unique two-dimensional structure, high conductivity, large surface area, superior charge carrier mobility, superior thermal and mechanical properties etc. To obtain graphene by chemical route, graphite oxide (GO) is used as a medium which is obtained from graphite. There is large amount of hydroxyl, carboxyl, carbonyl, epoxide etc. functional groups attached onto the basal or edge plane of GO making it strongly hydrophilic and easily exfoliated in water. Further reduction of GO get rids of unwanted accessory functional groups results in formation of reduced graphene oxide (r-GO) having desired properties. Further its properties can be manipulated by synthesis of graphene/r-GO-metal/metal oxide composites according to the applications to be drawn. These composites can be used in various applications, such as, in energy storage devices like anode materials in lithium ion batteries (LIBs), supercapacitors, photocatalysts, sensors, removal of organic pollutants etc. In the present study, Graphene Oxide-ZnO composites are synthesised by a simple chemical precipitation method. Further the structural characterizations of the samples prepared are done by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), UV-Visible Spectrophotometry, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy.