Graphene is considered to have great potential due to its high strength, ultra-thinness, and excellent electrical and thermal conductivity. All of this lacks a cost-effective method to manufacture it. However, a group of researchers now think they may have discovered this key hidden in the bark of Australian eucalyptus.
One of the more promising means of producing graphene sheets on a meaningful scale involves the chemical reduction of graphene oxide. But the agents used for this chemical reduction are often toxic and pose a threat to people and the environment, which has led scientists at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology's Advanced Materials Center to look for more pleasant alternatives.
"Generally, eucalyptus leaves contain oils and fats, which produce aromatic compounds that give us a unique fragrance," explained lead researcher Suresh Bhargava to New Atlas. "These compounds help protect trees from pests. Therefore, we have considered using these aromatic compounds in bark extracts as reducing agents for the synthesis of graphene."
Bhargava said that the key to this more environmentally friendly chemical reduction method is 29 polyphenolic compounds, including catechins (dark chocolate and green tea are rich in these compounds), and gallic acid and caffeic acid that can be found in red wine . These compounds work together in an aqueous solution to produce the required chemical reaction, providing the team with an “environmentally friendly†form of graphene that can make production safer, cheaper, and more sustainable.
"Eucalyptus bark extract has never been used to synthesize graphene flakes before. We are happy to find that it not only works, but in fact it is a superior method in terms of safety and overall cost," Bhargava said. "Our method can reduce the cost of graphene, from about 100 US dollars per gram to 50 cents. This will increase its availability in various industries around the world and promote the development of a series of important new technologies."
The team tested its environmentally friendly graphene as a supercapacitor and found that it performed as well as graphene produced by traditional methods. The researchers will also work to fine-tune their methods to make them more efficient, and then focus on commercial applications.
"In our environmentally friendly chemical method, we use eucalyptus bark extract, which contains about 29 polyphenol compounds, which are responsible for reducing graphene," Bhargava said. "Our next step is to find selective reduction of graphene oxide from these 29 polyphenolic compounds. If we find selectivity, then the separation of these compounds and further production of graphene in a cleaner way can be improved. Once we To achieve improved efficiency, we will strive to integrate our laboratory scale to pilot scale and then to industrial scale. "
The research was published in the journal Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering.
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