Dispersion of graphene sheets in organic solvent supported by ionic interactions

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Yanyu Liang - , Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (Author)
  • Dongqing Wu - , Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research (Author)
  • Xinliang Feng - , Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research (Author)
  • Klaus Müllen - , Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research (Author)

Abstract

A potentially scalable and environmentally friendly method for the production of GO and RGO sheets dispersed in chloroform was investigated. GO or RGO with negative charges were first mixed with a surfactant at a concentration higher than its critical micellar concentration in water. The surfactant-supported functionalization of graphene sheets took place through ionic interactions. The hydrophilic head of the surfactant was adsorbed on the surface of GO or RGO, while its hydrophobic tail was oriented towards the aqueous phase. Three quaternary ammonium salts, namely tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide (TTAB), didodecyldimethylammonium bromide (DDAB), and tetradodecylammonium bromide (TAB) with 1, 2, and 4 alkyl chains, respectively, were tested in the same manner. It was observed that smooth monolayer graphene sheets could be easily fabricated on substrates from organic solution.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1679-1683
Number of pages5
JournalAdvanced materials
Volume21
Issue number17
Publication statusPublished - 4 May 2009
Peer-reviewedYes
Externally publishedYes