Preliminary Study on Electrochemical Deposition of Graphene on Steel Substrate via In Situ Oxidation Using Cyclic Voltammetry

This study explores an innovative method for depositing graphene directly onto metal surfaces, using cyclic voltammetry with a suspension of graphene in water. Most electrochemical deposition techniques up to now have concentrated on graphene oxide (GO) rather than pure graphene, largely because GO disperses more readily in water. This characteristic makes GO simpler to manipulate and apply in deposition processes, giving it an advantage in terms of usability and practicality. We demonstrated that graphene can indeed be deposited onto metal surfaces using this innovative electrochemical approach. We conducted a thorough characterization of the resulting graphene deposits, employing advanced techniques, including interferometric microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and Raman spectroscopy. These analyses provided us with insights into the structural, chemical, and morphological characteristics of the graphene deposits. This comparison allowed us to assess the strengths and potential improvements needed for this direct deposition method, as it offers a more sustainable and streamlined alternative to conventional GO-based processes. One important finding is that, while the quality of these direct graphene deposits has not yet reached the level of GO-based coatings, this new approach has some compelling advantages. Specifically, it is a simpler, more environmentally friendly process that could streamline production and reduce the environmental impact compared to traditional methods using GO.