Molecular effects of encapsulation of glucose oxidase dimer by graphene

A box-like shape of graphene leads to different types of “sandwich” or “burrito” encapsulation of the enzyme. To preserve the critical interactions in the enzyme active site a proper balance of forces between protein and graphene is required.

Porphyrin-based graphene oxide frameworks with ultra-large d-spacings for the electrocatalyzation of oxygen reduction reaction

Graphene oxide frameworks with ultralarge d-spacings of up to 26 Å were synthesized by using porphyrins as molecular pillars of graphene sheets, showing potential applications as electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction.

CMP aerogels: ultrahigh-surface-area carbon-based monolithic materials with superb sorption performance

Monolithic conjugated microporous polymer (CMP) aerogels are obtained in an extremely facile way by selection of adequate reaction conditions and a freeze-drying technique. The aerogels possess an ultrahigh specific surface area and hierarchical interconnected pores, exhibiting superb gas/oil adsorption performance compared with all microporous organic polymers to date.

Synthetic routes contaminate graphene materials with a whole spectrum of unanticipated metallic elements

The synthesis of graphene materials is typically carried out by oxidizing graphite to graphite oxide followed by a reduction process. Numerous methods exist for both the oxidation and reduction steps, which causes unpredictable contamination from metallic impurities into the final material. These impurities are known to have considerable impact on the properties of graphene materials. We synthesized several reduced graphene oxides from extremely pure graphite using several popular oxidation and reduction methods and tracked the concentrations of metallic impurities at each stage of synthesis. We show that different combinations of oxidation and reduction introduce varying types as well as amounts of metallic elements into the graphene materials, and their origin can be traced to impurities within the chemical reagents used during synthesis. These metallic impurities are able to alter the graphene materials' electrochemical properties significantly and have wide-reaching implications on the potential applications of graphene materials.

Tailor-made graphite oxide–DAB poly(propylene imine) dendrimer intercalated hybrids and their potential for efficient CO2 adsorption

We report the rational design and synthesis of DAB poly(propylene imine) dendrimer (DAB) intercalated graphite oxide (GO) hybrids with tailorable interlayer distances.