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.
