UV light induced electrophilic fluorination of graphene oxide

The introduction of fluorine into graphene endows it with unusual physical and chemical properties. Developing a valid and safe fluorinating method and advancing the fundamental understanding of fluorination mechanism are highly anticipated. Here, a photochemical route for synthesizing fluorinated graphene oxide via one-step ultraviolet (UV) irradiation using F-TEDA-BF4 (Selectfluor) as fluorinating reagent is reported. The results suggest that, unlike the general view, the oxygenic groups are not contributed to the reactivity of graphene. An electrophilic fluorination mechanism including UV induced electronic excitation and single electron transfer process is put forward. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.