Stabilization of Aqueous Graphene Oxide with Acetone under γ-Ray/UV Irradiation

Graphene oxide (GO) is a kind of water soluble two-dimensional materials containing a large amount of oxygen-containing groups which infuse GO with water solubility, biocompatibility and functionality, etc. But GO can be easily reduced by losing oxygen-containing groups under some circumstances such as irradiation of gamma-ray or ultraviolet (UV). In this work, we found that acetone can significantly slow down the reduction process of GO under the irradiation of either gamma-ray or UV, which was supported by analysis results with UV-visible (UV-Vis) absorption spectra, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, etc. Acetone can capture and remove strongly reducible hydrated electrons generated under gamma-irradiation. GO reduction by UV also involves electron transfer process which can be affected by the presence of acetone. Hence, acetone can be used to stabilize, adjust the radiation reduction process of GO. This would be interesting not only in radiation and radiation protection, but also in understanding the redox properties of GO.