Superparamagnetic Reduced Graphene Oxide with Large Magnetoresistance: A Surface Modulation Strategy

The graphene system is actively pursued in spintronics for its nontrivial sp electron magnetism and its potential for the flexible surface chemical tuning of magnetoelectronic functionality. The magnetoresistance (MR) of graphene can be effectively tuned under high magnetic fields at cryogenic temperatures, but it remains a challenge to achieve sensitive magnetoelectric response under ambient conditions. We report the use of surface modulation to realize superparamagnetism in reduced graphene oxide (rGO) with sensitive magnetic field response. The superparamagnetic rGO was obtained by a mild oxidation process to partially remove the thiol groups covalently bound to the carbon framework, which brings about large low-field negative MR at room temperature (-8.6 %, 500 Oe, 300 K). This strategy provides a new approach for optimizing the intrinsic magnetoelectric properties of two-dimensional materials.