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Barbera V, Brambilla L, Milani A, Palazzolo A, Castiglioni C, Vitale A, Bongiovanni R, Galimberti M. Domino Reaction for the Sustainable Functionalization of Few-Layer Graphene. Nanomaterials (Basel) 2018; 9:E44. [PMID: 30598041 PMCID: PMC6359401 DOI: 10.3390/nano9010044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2018] [Revised: 12/14/2018] [Accepted: 12/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
The mechanism for the functionalization of graphene layers with pyrrole compounds was investigated. Liquid 1,2,5-trimethylpyrrole (TMP) was heated in air in the presence of a high surface area nanosized graphite (HSAG), at temperatures between 80 °C and 180 °C. After the thermal treatments solid and liquid samples, separated by centrifugation, were analysed by means of Raman, Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, X-Rays Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and ¹H-Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (¹H NMR) spectroscopy and High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM). FT-IR spectra were interpreted with the support of Density Functional Theory (DFT) quantum chemical modelling. Raman findings suggested that the bulk structure of HSAG remained substantially unaltered, without intercalation products. FT-IR and XPS spectra showed the presence of oxidized TMP derivatives on the solid adducts, in a much larger amount than in the liquid. For thermal treatments at T ≥ 150 °C, IR spectral features revealed not only the presence of oxidized products but also the reaction of intra-annular double bond of TMP with HSAG. XPS spectroscopy showed the increase of the ratio between C(sp²)N bonds involved in the aromatic system and C(sp³)N bonds, resulting from reaction of the pyrrole moiety, observed while increasing the temperature from 130 °C to 180 °C. All these findings, supported by modeling, led to hypothesize a cascade reaction involving a carbocatalyzed oxidation of the pyrrole compound followed by Diels-Alder cycloaddition. Graphene layers play a twofold role: at the early stages of the reaction, they behave as a catalyst for the oxidation of TMP and then they become the substrate for the cycloaddition reaction. Such sustainable functionalization, which does not produce by-products, allows us to use the pyrrole compounds for decorating sp² carbon allotropes without altering their bulk structure and smooths the path for their wider application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzina Barbera
- Politecnico di Milano, Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering "G. Natta", piazza Leonardo da Vinci, 32-via Mancinelli 7, 20131 Milano, Italy.
| | - Luigi Brambilla
- Politecnico di Milano, Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering "G. Natta", piazza Leonardo da Vinci, 32-via Mancinelli 7, 20131 Milano, Italy.
| | - Alberto Milani
- Politecnico di Milano, Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering "G. Natta", piazza Leonardo da Vinci, 32-via Mancinelli 7, 20131 Milano, Italy.
| | - Alberto Palazzolo
- Politecnico di Milano, Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering "G. Natta", piazza Leonardo da Vinci, 32-via Mancinelli 7, 20131 Milano, Italy.
| | - Chiara Castiglioni
- Politecnico di Milano, Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering "G. Natta", piazza Leonardo da Vinci, 32-via Mancinelli 7, 20131 Milano, Italy.
| | - Alessandra Vitale
- Politecnico di Torino, Department of Applied Science and Technology, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino, Italy.
| | - Roberta Bongiovanni
- Politecnico di Torino, Department of Applied Science and Technology, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino, Italy.
| | - Maurizio Galimberti
- Politecnico di Milano, Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering "G. Natta", piazza Leonardo da Vinci, 32-via Mancinelli 7, 20131 Milano, Italy.
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van der Kamp MW, Shaw KE, Woods CJ, Mulholland AJ. Biomolecular simulation and modelling: status, progress and prospects. J R Soc Interface 2008; 5 Suppl 3:S173-90. [PMID: 18611844 PMCID: PMC2706107 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2008.0105.focus] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2008] [Revised: 06/05/2008] [Accepted: 06/06/2008] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular simulation is increasingly demonstrating its practical value in the investigation of biological systems. Computational modelling of biomolecular systems is an exciting and rapidly developing area, which is expanding significantly in scope. A range of simulation methods has been developed that can be applied to study a wide variety of problems in structural biology and at the interfaces between physics, chemistry and biology. Here, we give an overview of methods and some recent developments in atomistic biomolecular simulation. Some recent applications and theoretical developments are highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Adrian J. Mulholland
- Centre for Computational Chemistry, School of Chemistry, University of BristolBristol BS8 1TS, UK
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