Effect of Deoxygenation on the Porosity and Morphology of Hydrazine-Reduced Graphene Oxide Derived from Graphite Lalu Saefullah (a,b), Masruroh (a*), Dionysius J. D. H. Santjojo (a), Istiroyah (a)
(a) Department of Physics, Universitas Brawijaya, Jl. Veteran No.10-11, Malang, East Java Timur 65145, Indonesia
(b) Military Weapons Engineering Technology Study Program, Poltekad Kodiklatad Malang, Junrejo, Kota Batu, Jawa Timur 65324, Indonesia
*Corresponding Author e-mail: ruroh[at]ub.ac.id
Abstract
Synthesizing reduced graphene oxide (rGO) with tailored structure and controlled porosity is critical for advanced materials. This study synthesizes rGO from graphite via a modified Hummers method followed by hydrazine hydrate reduction, comprehensively analyzing the correlations between elemental composition, microstructural evolution, and porosity. Initially, graphite was oxidized to graphene oxide (GO) using strong intercalating agents (H2SO4 and KMnO4), then thermochemically reduced to restore the sp2 carbon lattice. SEM characterization confirmed an inhomogeneous layered morphology resulting from partial exfoliation, featuring a Gaussian flake size distribution with a 2.42 um mean diameter. EDS analysis revealed a composition dominated by 71.02% carbon and 26.89% oxygen. FTIR validated this deoxygenation degree, demonstrating significant attenuation of oxygenated functional groups (C=O, C-O) alongside intensified aromatic C=C bands. Based on structural modeling, the synthesized rGO achieved an exceptionally high total porosity of 79.22%. This high void density and open-channel formation directly correlate with the evolution of oxygen-containing groups and gases during reduction, effectively inhibiting graphene sheet restacking and validating established pore-formation models. In conclusion, integrating the Hummers method with hydrazine reduction effectively produces rGO with a superior porosity profile and an optimal deoxygenation ratio, positioning it as a highly promising candidate for conductive materials and advanced energy storage matrices.
