Graphene Acid: a Versatile 2D Platform for Catalysis

Graphene acid (GA) is a novel graphene platform where the carboxylic acid groups are located in the basal plane of the carbon network. The chemical route to develop such a platform has been proposed and the final product displays a series of advantages with respect to the well-known and much used graphene oxide (GO), i. e. a more uniform functionalization of the graphene basal plane and an enhanced electronic conduction when compared to GO. In this review we discuss the most recent literature data which demonstrate that the excellent GA properties may have an impact on the catalytic activity of both GA itself and the hybrid derivatives obtained using GA as a scaffold. Examples are discussed where GA as carbocatalyst, molecular catalysts heterogenized on GA and particles/GA assemblies are used as catalysts and electrocatalysts, pinpointing the advantages of using GA with respect to other graphenic substrates.