Fabrication of free-standing graphene paper decorated with flower-like PbSe sub(0.5)S sub(0.5) structures

We report a simple preparation procedure for free-standing and flexible rGO/PbSe sub(0.5)S sub(0.5) paper. The fabrication process includes two steps: first, graphene oxide (GO) paper was obtained by vacuum-filtration of a GO dispersion through a membrane and then the GO paper was transformed to rGO paper by chemical reduction with HI. The second step includes formation of a rGO/PbSe sub(0.5)S sub(0.5) hybrid paper electrode by one-pot electrodeposition of PbSe sub(0.5)S sub(0.5) nanoparticles onto an rGO paper electrode from a solution containing saturated PbS and PbSe. The electrodeposition process is based on underpotential deposition of Pb super(2+), Se super(4+), and S super(2-) electroactive species which are produced by the dissolution of both PbS and PbSe in the solution at 70 degree C. For this purpose, the electrodeposition step was initially tested on Au(111) electrodes and then applied on an rGO paper electrode. Suitable constant electrodeposition potentials were determined as -300 and -450 mV on Au(111) and rGO paper electrodes, respectively. Characterization of the prepared samples has been performed using scanning tunneling microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, electron dispersive spectroscopy, Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, UV-vis-NIR, chronoamperometry, and cyclic voltammetry techniques.