Large-area ultra-thin GO nanofiltration membranes prepared by a pre-crosslinking rod coating technique

In existing separation membranes, it is difficult to quickly produce large-area graphene oxide (GO) nanofiltration membranes with high permeability and high rejection, which is the bottleneck of industrialization. In this study, a pre-crosslinking rod-coating technique is reported. A GO-P-Phenylenediamine (PPD) suspension was obtained by chemically crosslinking GO and PPD for 180 min. After scraping and coating with a Mayer rod, the ultra-thin GO-PPD nanofiltration membrane with an area of 400 cm² and a thickness of 40 nm was prepared in 30 s. The PPD formed an amide bond with GO to improve its stability. It also increased the layer spacing of GO membrane, which could improve the permeability. The prepared GO nanofiltration membrane had a 99 % rejection rate for dyes such as methylene blue, crystal violet, and Congo red. Meanwhile, the permeation flux reached to 42 LMH/bar, which was 10 times that of the GO membrane without PPD crosslinking, and it still maintained excellent stability under strongly acidic and basic conditions. This work successfully solved the problems of GO nanofiltration membranes, including the large-area fabrication, high permeability and high rejection.

Spectroscopic Monitoring of the Electrode Process of MnO2@rGO Nanospheres and Its Application in High-Performance Flexible Micro-Supercapacitors

Structural instability is a major obstacle to realizing the high performance of a MnO₂-based pseudocapacitor material. Understanding its structure transformation in the process of electrochemical reaction, therefore, plays an important role in the efficient enhancement of rate capacity and stability. Herein, a stable MnO₂@rGO core-shell nanosphere is first synthesized by a liquid-liquid interface deposition further combined with the electrostatic self-assembly method. The structural transformation process of the MnO₂@rGO electrode is monitored by ex situ Raman and X-ray diffraction spectroscopy during the charging-discharging process. It is found in the first discharging process that layered-MnO₂ transforms into the spinel-Mn₃O₄ phase with K⁺ ion intercalation. From the second charging, the spinel-Mn₃O₄ phase is gradually adjusted to a more stable λ-MnO₂ with a three-dimensional tunnel structure, finally realizing the reversible intercalation/deintercalation of K⁺ ions in the λ-MnO₂ tunnel structure during subsequent cycling, which can be attributed to the presence of oxygen vacancies formed by the lengthening of the Mn-O bond and losing oxygen in the MnO₆ octahedral unit with K⁺ ion intercalation/deintercalation. Meanwhile, the MnO₂@rGO electrode demonstrates a high specific capacitance of 378 F g^-1 at 1 A g^-1 and excellent cycling stability with a capacitance retention of up to 89.5% after 10 000 cycles at 10 A g^-1. Furthermore, the assembled symmetric micro-supercapacitor delivers a high areal energy density of 1.01 μWh cm^-2, superior cycling stability with no significant capacity decay after 8700 cycles, and a capacity retention rate of almost 100% after 2000 bending cycles, showing great mechanical flexibility and practicability.

Preparation of Modified Fluorographene Oxide with Interlayer Supporting Structure

Fluorinated graphene (FGi) is easy to agglomerate, after which it turns into a curly and wavy shape, which results in a great decrease in the properties of the resultant composite materials and coatings. In this study, fluorinated graphene oxide (FGO) modified with p-phenylenediamine (PPD) was prepared, but with a view to avoid its agglomeration and retain a sheet-like structure. Through the reaction between PPD and the epoxy groups of FGO, the modified FGO with an amino group (N-PGO) had a larger interlayer d-spacing than FGO. The stability of N-PGO was also improved, and nitrogen, fluorine, oxygen, and carbon were evenly distributed in the N-PGO sheets. All the results indicate that PPD can act as an effective spacer to separate graphene sheets for good anti-agglomeration properties. This method produced modified graphene with fluorine, amino, and carbonyl groups. It shows potential in introducing N-PGO as a reactive modifier in composite materials and coatings for a variety of industrial applications including waterborne epoxy materials.

Covalent functionalization of carbon materials with redox-active organic molecules for energy storage

Carbon-based materials (CBMs) have shown great versatility because they can be chemically combined with other materials for various applications. Chemical modification of CBMs can be achieved via covalent or non-covalent interactions. Non-covalent interactions are weak and fragile, causing structural change and molecule dissociation. Therefore, in this review, we summarize the covalent modification of CBMs via organic chemistry techniques, aiming at forming more robust and stable CBMs. Besides, their application as electrode materials in energy storage systems is also within the scope of this review. Covalent binding of redox-active organic molecules with CBMs improves the transfer rate of electrons and prevents the dissolution of redox-active molecules, resulting in good conductivity and cycle life. Numerous papers on the functionalization of CBMs have been published to date, but some of them lack scientific evidence and are unable to understand from chemistry viewpoint. Reliable articles with adequate evidence are summarized in this review from a synthetic chemistry viewpoint.

Fused Heterocyclic Molecule-Functionalized N-Doped Reduced Graphene Oxide by Non-Covalent Bonds for High-Performance Supercapacitors

Indole molecules with fused heteroaromatic structures can be adsorbed on the N-doped graphene surface through the π-π interaction. Therefore, the indole-functionalized N-doped graphene (InFGN) with mesopores is successfully fabricated by a simple hydrothermal method and subsequent vacuum freeze-drying process. The microstructure, thickness, element composition, pore structure, and electrochemical performance of InFGN are analyzed via SEM, TEM, AFM, BET, UV-vis, FT-IR, XPS, Raman, XRD, and electrochemical technologies. Since the five-membered aromatic heterocycles are electron-rich, the indole molecules fixed on the N-doped graphene surface can repair the structural defects generated by N doping. Electrochemical measurements show that the InFGN electrode highlights an excellent capacitance of 622.3 F g^-1 at 2 A g^-1 and a durable cycling life of 100.5% after 5000 charging/discharging cycle times. For further practical application, a symmetric device has been assembled by using InFGN electrodes, which realizes high-power and energy densities (18.8-20.6 Wh kg^-1 at 800-8000 W kg^-1). This study provides a shortcut for building green supercapacitors with enhanced energy storage performance.

Highly efficient FeNP-embedded hybrid bifunctional reduced graphene oxide for Knoevenagel condensation with active methylene compounds

Novel hybrid bifunctional FeNPs/PPD@rGO for Knoevenagel condensation reaction with 100% conversion and yield.

Enhanced covalent p-phenylenediamine crosslinked graphene oxide membranes: Towards superior contaminant removal from wastewaters and improved membrane reusability

The increasing depletion of freshwater necessitates the re-use and purification of wastewaters. Among the existing separation membrane materials, graphene oxide (GO) is a promising candidate, owing to its tunable physicochemical properties. However, the widening of GO membranes pore gap in aqueous environments is a major limitation. Crosslinking agents can be incorporated to alleviate this problem. This study describes a comparative analysis of uncrosslinked and p-Phenylenediamine (PPD) crosslinked GO membranes' water purification performance. Dip-coating and dip-assisted layer-by-layer methods were used to fabricate the uncrosslinked and crosslinked membranes respectively. The covalent interaction between GO and PPD was confirmed by Fourier Transform Infra-Red and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy. The excellent membrane topographical continuity and intactness was assessed by means of Scanning Electron Microscopy, while water contact angle measurements were undertaken to evaluate and confirm membrane hydrophilicity. The improvement impact of the crosslinker was manifested on the enhancement of the stability and performance of the membranes during nanofiltration tests of aqueous solutions of methylene blue in a homemade nanofiltration cell operated at 1 bar.

Oral administration of graphene oxide nano-sheets induces oxidative stress, genotoxicity, and behavioral teratogenicity in Drosophila melanogaster

The current study checks the effect of various concentrations of dietary graphene oxide (GO) nano-sheets on the development of Drosophila melanogaster. GO was synthesized and characterized by XRD, FTIR, FESEM, and TEM analytical techniques. Various concentrations of GO were mixed with the fly food and flies were transferred to the vial. Various behavioral and morphological as well as genetic defects were checked on the different developmental stages of the offspring. In the larval stage of development, the crawling speed and trailing path change significantly than the control. GO induces the generation of oxygen radicals within the larval hemolymph as evidenced by nitroblue tetrazolium assay. GO induces DNA damage within the gut cell, which was detected by Hoechst staining and within hemolymph by comet assay. Adult flies hatched after GO treatment show defective phototaxis and geotaxis behavior. Besides behavior, phenotypic defects were observed in the wing, eye, thorax bristles, and mouth parts. At 300 mg/L concentration, wing spots were observed. Altogether, the current study finds oral administration of GO which acts as a mutagen and causes various behavioral and developmental defects in the offspring. Here for the first time, we are reporting GO, which acts as a teratogen in Drosophila, besides its extensive medical applications.

Modified graphene/polyimide composite films with strongly enhanced thermal conductivity

With the development of portable electronic devices, highly efficient thermal management has become an important design consideration which requires good flexibility and excellent thermal conductivity. In this work, an integrated "modified-welding" method is used to deliver a flexible film with superior thermal conductivity. Firstly, graphene oxide (GO) is modified by 4,4'-diaminodiphenyl ether (ODA) through covalent bonding, aiming at providing reactive sites by polyimide (PI) on GO sheets for further in situ "modified-welding". The intercalated PI in mGO film layers serves as the solder to weld adjacent graphene sheets into large ones with less grain boundaries, leading to a superior in-plane thermal conductivity of the graphitized graphene/polyimide composite film (g-mGO/PI) which reaches 1352 ± 5 W m-1 K-1, 92.3% higher than that of the pristine graphitized graphene film (g-GO). Additionally, the g-mGO/PI film survives a 2000-cycle anti-bending test, which demonstrates excellent flexibility. Last but not least, the "modified-welding" strategy also provides an innovative way to develop graphene-based films for thermal management.

A Review of Supercapacitors Based on Graphene and Redox-Active Organic Materials

Supercapacitors are a highly promising class of energy storage devices due to their high power density and long life cycle. Conducting polymers (CPs) and organic molecules are potential candidates for improving supercapacitor electrodes due to their low cost, large specific pseudocapacitance and facile synthesis methods. Graphene, with its unique two-dimensional structure, shows high electrical conductivity, large specific surface area and outstanding mechanical properties, which makes it an excellent material for lithium ion batteries, fuel cells and supercapacitors. The combination of CPs and graphene as electrode material is expected to boost the properties of supercapacitors. In this review, we summarize recent reports on three different CP/graphene composites as electrode materials for supercapacitors, discussing synthesis and electrochemical performance. Novel flexible and wearable devices based on CP/graphene composites are introduced and discussed, with an eye to recent developments and challenges for future research directions.

Biodegradable glucose and glucosamine grafted polyacrylamide/graphite composites for the removal of acid violet 17 from an aqueous solution

In this work, the structural characterization and adsorption behavior of glucose and glucosamine grafted polyacrylamide/graphite composites (denoted as Gu-g-PAM/graphite and GA-g-PAM/graphite) were investigated. The grafted polymers were characterized by using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), 13C NMR and N2 sorption studies. The adsorption behavior of grafted polymers was compared by varying parameters such as pH, initial dye concentration, agitation time, adsorbent dose and temperature. The results showed that GA-g-PAM/graphite composite was an effective adsorbent for the uptake of acid violet 17 (Av-17) from an aqueous solution. The superior adsorption behavior was attributed to the presence of -NH2 and -OH groups in GA-g-PAM/graphite. Langmuir, Freundlich and Dubinin-Radushkevich (D-R) isotherms were used to describe the adsorption isotherm. The adsorption isotherm of the adsorbents fitted well with the Langmuir model with the maximum adsorption capacity (qo) of 78.13 mg/g for GA-g-PAM/graphite. The efficiency of adsorption with time was described using pseudo first-order, pseudo second-order and intra particle diffusion kinetic models. The kinetic study revealed that the adsorption equilibrium was attained within 50 min. The thermodynamic analysis stated that the adsorption of dye is spontaneous, physical and endothermic in nature. Desorption results revealed that all the adsorbents exhibit excellent stability and remarkable regeneration ability.

One-pot synthesis of amine-functionalized graphene oxide by microwave-assisted reactions: an outstanding alternative for supporting materials in supercapacitors

A simple and straightforward method using microwave-assisted reactions is presented for the functionalization of graphene oxide with aromatic and non-aromatic amines, notedly dibenzylamine (DBA), p-phenylenediamine (PPD), diisopropylamine (DPA) and piperidine (PA). The as-synthesized amine-functionalized graphene oxide materials (amine-GO) were characterized using spectroscopic techniques including XRD, FTIR, ¹³C NMR, XPS, TEM for imaging and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The characterization confirmed the functionalization for all amines, reaching relatively high surface nitrogen atomic concentrations of up to 8.8%. The investigations of electrochemical behavior for the amine-GOs show the significant improvement in GO's electrochemical properties through amine functionalization, exhibiting long life cycle stability and reaching specific capacitance values of up to 290 F g⁻¹ and 260 F g⁻¹ for GO-PA and GO-DPA samples, respectively, confirming their potential application as alternative supporting materials in supercapacitors.

A simple and straightforward method using microwave-assisted reactions is presented for the functionalization of graphene oxide with aromatic and non-aromatic amines.

Surface modification of co-doped reduced graphene oxide through alkanolamine functionalization for enhanced electrochemical performance

The synergistic effect of heteroatom co-doping and triethanolamine functionalization on reduced graphene oxide resulted in impressive electrochemical features.

Development of 3D Urchin-Shaped Coaxial Manganese Dioxide@Polyaniline (MnO2@PANI) Composite and Self-Assembled 3D Pillared Graphene Foam for Asymmetric All-Solid-State Flexible Supercapacitor Application

We have fabricated high-energy-density all-solid-state flexible asymmetric supercapacitor by using a facile novel 3D hollow urchin-shaped coaxial manganese dioxide@polyaniline (MnO₂@PANI) composite as positive electrode and 3D graphene foam (GF) as negative electrode materials with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/KOH gel electrolyte. The coaxial MnO₂@PANI composite was fabricated by hydrothermal route followed by oxidation without use of an external oxidant. The formation mechanism of the 3D hollow MnO₂@PANI composite occurs first by nucleation and growth of the MnO₂ crystal species via dissolution-recrystallization and oriented attachment mechanisms followed by the oxidation of aniline monomers on the MnO₂ crystalline template. The self-assembled 3D graphene block was synthesized by hydrothermal route using vitamin C as a reducing agent. The microstructures of the composites are analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Raman spectroscopy. The morphology is characterized by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), which clearly showed the formation of urchin-shaped coaxial MnO₂@PANI composite. The electrochemical studies are explored by cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectrometry, and cyclic charge-discharge tests. The symmetric all-solid-state flexible MnO₂@PANI//MnO₂@PANI and GF//GF supercapacitors exhibit the specific capacitance of 129.2 and 82.1 F g^-1 at 0.5 A/g current density, respectively. The solid-state asymmetric supercapacitor shows higher energy density (37 Wh kg^-1) with respect to the solid-state symmetric supercapacitors MnO₂@PANI//MnO₂@PANI and GF//GF, where the obtained energy density are found to be 17.9 and 11.4 Wh kg^-1, respectively, at 0.5 A/g current density. Surprisingly, the asymmetric supercapacitor shows a high energy density of 22.3 Wh kg^-1 at a high current density of 5 A g^-1. The solid-state asymmetric supercapacitor shows a good cyclic stability in which ∼11% capacitance loss was observed after 5000 cycles.

Totally embedded hybrid thin films of carbon nanotubes and silver nanowires as flat homogenous flexible transparent conductors

There is a great need for viable alternatives to today’s transparent conductive film using largely indium tin oxide. We report the fabrication of a new type of flexible transparent conductive film using silver nanowires (AgNW) and single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) networks which are fully embedded in a UV curable resin substrate. The hybrid SWCNTs-AgNWs film is relatively flat so that the RMS roughness of the top surface of the film is 3 nm. Addition of SWCNTs networks make the film resistance uniform; without SWCNTs, sheet resistance of the surface composed of just AgNWs in resin varies from 20 Ω/sq to 10⁷Ω/sq. With addition of SWCNTs embedded in the resin, sheet resistance of the hybrid film is 29 ± 5 Ω/sq and uniform across the 47 mm diameter film discs; further, the optimized film has 85% transparency. Our lamination-transfer UV process doesn’t need solvent for sacrificial substrate removal and leads to good mechanical interlocking of the nano-material networks. Additionally, electrochemical study of the film for supercapacitors application showed an impressive 10 times higher current in cyclic voltammograms compared to the control without SWCNTs. Our fabrication method is simple, cost effective and enables the large-scale fabrication of flat and flexible transparent conductive films.

Chlorine-functionalized reduced graphene oxide for methylene blue removal

Hydroxyl group in graphene oxide can be substituted by chlorine in sulfuryl chloride at mild condition.

Synthesis of ternary graphene/molybdenum oxide/poly(p-phenylenediamine) nanocomposites for symmetric supercapacitors

A ternary graphene/MoO₃/PpPD nanocomposite (GMP) has been successfully synthesized via a two-step process including the generation of binary graphene/MoO₃ through a hydrothermal method and polymerization of p-phenylenediamine monomer.