Electrocoagulation driven fabrication of graphene oxide films

Abstract A unique electrocoagulation based method enabling the deposition of graphene oxide (GO) films on copper was developed. This method involves two distinct steps, (i) electrocoagulation of GO particles dispersed in aqueous media, induced by copper ions produced at the anode and (ii) deposition of the particles onto the copper anode. Under acidic conditions, GO films with tailorable thicknesses (3–130 μm) were readily deposited on the anode by varying applied voltage and deposition time in a controllable manner. The GO particles exhibited negative zeta-potentials, facilitating deposition on the positive anode. The copper oxidation state in the GO film was confirmed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to be 2+, while its concentration within the GO film was strongly dependent on the applied voltages and deposition time. This new approach can be extended to other metal substrates, opening up new avenues for employing GO in a wide variety of energy and membrane applications.