Preparation of high-quality graphene using triggered microwave reduction under an air atmosphere

Reduced graphene oxide (RGO) has prospective applications in many fields, including energy storage, printable electronics, and sensing. RGO can simply be obtained at low-cost by reducing graphene oxide (GO). However, how to entirely remove the oxygen-containing groups to yield high-quality graphene is still a great challenge. Here, we report that high-quality intrinsic graphene can be prepared by a simple triggered microwave reduction method under air conditions. The induced spectrum and diffusion processes of GO reduction indicated that high-quality graphene could be produced by strong arc discharge caused by aggregation of electrons at the junction between graphene and GO under microwave irradiation. During the reduction process, the oxygen atoms were removed and carbon atoms were rearranged simultaneously in the graphene lattice structures. In addition, other triggered sources, such as iron wires and paper clips, could also be used to prepare high-quality graphene using the same method. Overall, the triggered microwave reduction of GO provides a simple and low-cost route for large-scale production of high-quality graphene.