Towards Green Reduction of Reduced Graphene Oxide: A Comparative Study of Hydrazine and Ascorbic Acid Post Modified Hummer's Synthesis

M. Ikhwan Najmi; Sri Cahyo Wahyono; Eka Suarso; Rahmad Oktafiansyah; Maya Safitri

doi:10.35895/rf.v5i2.34

Authors

M. Ikhwan Najmi Department of Physics, Lambung Mangkurat University Author https://orcid.org/0009-0007-4114-4229
Sri Cahyo Wahyono Department of Physics, Lambung Mangkurat University Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6120-7246
Eka Suarso Department of Physics, Lambung Mangkurat University Author https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9867-7578
Rahmad Oktafiansyah Department of Physics, Lambung Mangkurat University Author https://orcid.org/0009-0002-2752-2645
Maya Safitri Department of Physics, Lambung Mangkurat University Author https://orcid.org/0009-0005-3032-3868

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.35895/rf.v5i2.34

Keywords:

Reduced graphene oxide, Green reduction, Ascorbic acid, Hydrazine

Abstract

The production of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) traditionally relies on hazardous reducing agents like hydrazine, which poses significant environmental and health risks. This study conducted a comparative analysis of the reduction of graphene oxide (GO), synthesized via a modified Hummer's method, using toxic hydrazine versus a green alternative, ascorbic acid. The resulting rGO from both methods was characterized using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to evaluate structural and chemical changes, while waste profiles and process efficiencies were also compared. The results demonstrated that both hydrazine and ascorbic acid effectively reduced GO, as confirmed by the disappearance of the GO (001) peak and the emergence of the rGO (002) peak in XRD patterns, alongside a significant reduction of oxygen-containing functional groups in FTIR spectra. However, a critical difference was observed in their environmental impact; hydrazine generated a toxic, carcinogenic effluent and caused nitrogen doping, while ascorbic acid produced a benign, non-toxic waste stream. It was concluded that despite challenges such as process optimization and purification, ascorbic acid presents a vastly superior and more sustainable pathway for rGO synthesis for most applications, successfully balancing reduction efficiency with environmental responsibility.

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