Researchers in the Texas A&M University J. Mike Walker ’66 Department of Mechanical Engineering have developed a new method for producing graphene oxide, a high-value carbon nanomaterial used in batteries, electronics and advanced manufacturing.
The research, published in the journal Nature Communications, demonstrates how graphene oxide can be synthesized using methane and a nonthermal plasma-water interface, offering a potentially lower-cost and more scalable alternative to conventional production methods.
Led by Dr. David Staack, associate professor and deputy vice chancellor for research, the team developed a process that uses an electrical plasma discharge to convert methane — the primary component of natural gas — into high-purity graphene oxide while simultaneously producing hydrogen as a byproduct.
The discovery emerged unexpectedly during a project that initially focused on hydrogen production.
“When we started this work, hydrogen was the product and carbon was the byproduct,” Staack said. “As we continued the research, we realized the carbon material we were producing was actually one of the most valuable outcomes.”
Unlike conventional methods, this process creates graphene oxide directly from methane rather than mined graphite.
“Most graphene oxide today is produced from graphite through chemically intensive processes,” Staack said. “We’re taking a very different approach. Instead of starting with a bulk material and breaking it apart, we’re building the material from methane molecules.”
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