CO2/Water Emulsions Stabilized by Partially Reduced Graphene Oxide.

Using functional materials to stabilize emulsions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and water is a promising way to expand the utility of CO2 and functional materials. Here we demonstrate for the first time that the partially reduced graphene oxide (rGO) can well stabilize the emulsion of CO2 and water without the aid of any additional emulsifier or surface modification for rGO. More interestingly, such a novel kind of emulsion provides a facile and versatile route for constructing highly porous three-dimensional rGO materials, including rGO, metal/rGO, and metal oxide/rGO networks. The as-synthesized Au/rGO composite is highly active in catalyzing 4-nitrophenol reduction and styrene epoxidation.