Green synthesis of graphene acetic acid: A highly effective and versatile carbocatalyst for advanced oxidation reactions

A novel graphene derivative with a high density (10 % at/at) of acetic acid pendants installed directly on the basal plane, called graphene acetic acid (GAA), is prepared through a sustainable protocol starting from fluorinated graphite. The proposed synthesis route is environmentally friendly, simple and highly scalable. The catalytic activity of the GAA as a peroxidase mimic is tested using standard protocols (i.e. 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) reacted with H2O2) obtaining excellent results that surpass the state of the art in previously reported carbon materials. To confirm further the versatility of GAA as an oxidation catalyst, and its potential relevance in industrial processes, we investigate the conversion of sulfides to sulfoxides. Once again, GAA proves to be an outstanding catalyst, being able to oxidize thioanisole to the corresponding sulfoxide in a short time (200 min for complete conversion) without the addition of a solvent and at room temperature. Moreover, the catalyst is easily recovered through filtration and can be subjected to further catalytic cycles without decreasing the performance.