Influence of the ultrasound cavitation intensity on reduced graphene oxide functionalization

Graphene is a valuable and useful nanomaterial due to its exceptionally high tensile strength, electrical conductivity and transparency, as well as the ability to tune its materials properties via functionalization. One of the most important features needed to integrate functionalized graphene into products via scalable processing is the effectiveness of graphene dispersion in aqueous and organic solvents. In this study, we aimed to achieve the functionalization of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) by sonication in a one-step process using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as a model molecule to be bound to the rGO surface. We investigated the influence of the sonication energy on the efficacy of rGO functionalization. The correlation between the performance of the high-intensity ultrasonic horn and the synthesis of the PVA functionalized rGO was thoroughly investigated by TGA coupled with MS, and IR, Raman, XPS, Laser diffraction, and SEM analysis. The results show that the most soluble PVA-functionalized rGO is achieved at 50% of the ultrasonic horn amplitude. Analysis of cavitation dynamics revealed that in the near vicinity of the horn it is most aggressive at the highest amplitude (60%). This causes rGO flakes to break into smaller domains, which negatively affects the functionalization process. On the other hand, the maximum of the pressure pulsations far away from the horn is reached at 40% amplitude, as the pressure oscillations are attenuated significantly in the 2-phase flow region at higher amplitudes. These observations corelate well with the measured degree of functionalization, where the optimum functionalized rGO dispersion is reached at 50% horn amplitude, and generally imply that cavitation intensity must be carefully adjusted to achieve optimal rGO functionalization.

A facile construction of Au nanoparticles on a copolymer ligand brushes modified graphene oxide nanoplatform with excellent catalytic properties

Au NPs were generated via in situ reduction on copolymer brush P(OEGMA-co-MQ) functionalized GO. MQ units in the brushes as capping agents could stabilize the Au NPs. The Au NPs–GO hybrid exhibited high catalytic activity for the reduction of 4-NP.

Biodegradable large compound vesicles with controlled size prepared via the self-assembly of branched polymers in nanodroplet templates

Generally, it is very difficult to control the size of large compound vesicles. Here, we introduce a novel method for the preparation of biodegradable large compound vesicles with controlled size and narrow size distribution by using aqueous nanodroplets as templates.

Microwave-assisted surface-initiated redox polymerization of acrylamide with functionalized graphene oxide for aqueous lubricant additive

A fast, efficient and greener synthesized FGO-PAM nanocomposite as an improved aqueous lubricating additive.

Covalent modification of graphene as a 2D nanofiller for enhanced mechanical performance of poly(glutamate) hybrid gels

Covalently functionalized graphene via grafting of poly(glutamate) as interfacial adhesive junctions may show sustainable potential in more robust polypeptide hybrid organogels.

Synthesis of mixed poly(ε-caprolactone)/polystyrene brushes from Y-initiator-functionalized silica particles by surface-initiated ring-opening polymerization and nitroxide-mediated radical polymerization

This article reports the synthesis of mixed brushes by ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone and nitroxide-mediated radical polymerization of styrene from Y-initiator-functionalized silica particles.