Graphene aerogel (GA) is successfully prepared through hydrogen reduction of graphene oxide aerogel (GOA) which is self-assembled from graphene oxide solution and subsequently dried by a supercritical CO 2 method. The morphology, structure and surface property evolution in the preparation of GA are investigated intensively by a variety of means such as atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), N 2 adsorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible absorption spectroscopy (UV-Vis), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). A self-assembly mechanism based on the hydrogen-bonding interactions between hydroxyl groups and carbonyl groups is proposed for the first time to explain the formation of GA. As evidenced by elemental analysis (EA) and electrochemical measurements, this three dimensional GA has an unprecedented high C/O molar ratio of 69.9, which contributes to the excellent high-rate performance of this material for supercapacitor applications.

No abstract

Acid–base bifunctional ionic hybrids were employed as catalysts for glucose dehydration to HMF via a unique sequential hydrogen transfer route.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

Reduced graphene oxide aerogel (RGOA) is synthesized successfully through a simultaneous self-assembly and reduction process using hypophosphorous acid and I2 as reductant. Nitrogen sorption analysis shows that the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area of RGOA could reach as high as 830 m2 g−1, which is the largest value ever reported for graphene-based aerogels obtained through the simultaneous self-assembly and reduction strategy. The as-prepared RGOA is characterized by a variety of means such as scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Electrochemical tests show that RGOA exhibits a high-rate supercapacitive performance in aqueous electrolytes. The specific capacitance of RGOA is calculated to be 211.8 and 278.6 F g−1 in KOH and H2SO4 electrolytes, respectively. The perfect supercapacitive performance of RGOA is ascribed to its three-dimensional structure and the existence of oxygen-containing groups.

The kinetics of one-pot synthesis of dimethyl carbonate (DMC) was investigated using ethylene epoxide (EO), methanol, and CO 2 as raw materials and a mixture of KI and K 2 CO 3 as a catalyst under supercritical CO 2 conditions. The reaction pathway of the one-pot process is that EO first reacts with CO 2 to form ethylene carbonate (EC) and then EC reacts with methanol to produce DMC and ethylene glycol (EG). EC formation is a relatively fast reaction, whereas the transesterification of EC with methanol to form DMC is a relatively slow reaction and the ratecontrol step of the one-pot synthesis. 2-Methoxyethanol (ME), which is the exclusive byproduct, is predominantly formed by the reaction of EC with methanol. An isothermal kinetics model and an isobaric kinetics model for the one-pot synthesis of DMC were developed. The relative standard deviations of the models from the experiment data were less than (15% and (10%, respectively. The effects of temperature and CO 2 density on the reaction rates and selectivity were discussed.