Chlorinated hydrocarbons such as trichloroethylene (TCE) and tetrachloroethylene (PCE) are most commonly found compounds in the contaminated groundwater. Silicon has the advantage to serve of a reductant to decompose chlorinated hydrocarbons due to its suitable redox potential, abundance, safety and environmental friendly behavior. In addition, graphene, a two-dimensional sheet of sp2-hybridized carbon, has attracted a great deal of attention in past decades because of its good mechanical strength, excellent thermal stability, and remarkable electronic conductivity. Self-assembled graphene-silicon composite architectures can be prepared by a simple chemical reaction for energy and environmental applications.  In this study, a 3-dimensional (3-D) carbon material containing graphene and silicon was fabricated. The 3-D structure can prevent the aggregation of silicon and provide good electronic conductivity to enhance the dechlorination efficiency. The oxidation�exfoliation�reduction of graphite powder was used to synthesize the reduced graphene oxide (rGO). The composite was prepared by mixing silicon powder and graphene oxide (GO) suspension with stirring for 2h, followed by addition of reducing agent of ascorbic acid or sodium disulfite to form 3-D structure by sintering at 300oC for 3 h under Ar atmosphere. Parameters of 3-D carbon including silicon particle size, concentration of GO, reducing agent, calcination temperature, and time were examined and optimized. The microstructure of 3-D carbon was characterized by SEM/TEM, XRD, while surface area resolved by BET analysis.

Self-assembled graphene-silicon composite material for environmental application

248th National Meeting (2014)

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