Photocatalytic reduction of graphene oxide with cuprous oxide film under UV-vis irradiation

We have grown Cu2O films by different routes including self-oxidation and metal-organic deposition (MOD). The reduction efficiency of Cu2O films on graphene oxide (GO) synthesized by modified Hummer's method has been studied. Surface morphology and chemical state of as-prepared Cu2O film and GO sheets reduced at different conditions have also been investigated using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Results show that self-oxidation Cu2O film is more effective on phtocatalytic reduction of GO than MOD-Cu2O film. Moreover, reduction effect of self-oxidation Cu2O film to GO is comparable to that of environmental-friendly reducing agent of vitamin C. The present results offer a potentially eco-friendly and low-cost approach for the manufacture of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) by photocatalytic reduction.