Toward graphene/silicon interface via controlled electrochemical reduction of graphene oxide

A novel experimental approach to produce graphene/silicon interface is reported, which consists of electrochemically reduced graphene oxide directly in contact with Si(111). The utilized procedure makes use of differently concentrated graphene oxide solutions drop-casted onto a flat crystalline hydrogenated Si(111) surface. Such modified surface was utilized as a working electrode in an electrochemical cell with aqueous electrolyte and subject to cyclic voltammetry in different conditions. After the electrochemical treatments, the electrodes were characterized by means of field-emission scanning electron microscopy microscopy and Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies. The overall results demonstrate the transformation of graphene oxide into electrochemically reduced graphene oxide over the silicon surface, as evidenced by the abatement of the spectroscopic features associated with oxidized carbon groups and by the increase in the number of graphene-like sp2 carbon domains. These outcomes are new and a step forward in the direction of an easy procedure to high quality graphene/silicon interfaces.