High-Yield Production of Nano-Lateral Size Graphene Oxide by High-Power Ultrasonication

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2021

Authors

Licínia Timochenco (Author) Other; Raquel Costa Almeida (Author) Other; Diana Bogas (Author) Other; Filipa A. L. S. Silva (Author) Other; Joana Silva (Author) Other; André Pereira (Author) FCUP; Fernão D. Magalhães (Author) FEUP; Artur M. Pinto (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Materials

Vol. 14 No. 19

Pages: 1-1916

ISSN: 1996-1944

Publisher: MDPI

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 3 Citations

Scopus - 3 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00T-VA2

DOI: 10.3390/ma14081916

Abstract (EN): Nanographene oxide (GOn) constitutes a nanomaterial of high value in the biomedical field. However, large scale production of highly stable aqueous dispersions of GOn is yet to be achieved. In this work, we explored high-power ultrasonication as a method to reduce particle size of GO and characterized the impact of the process on the physicochemical properties of the material. GOn was obtained with lateral dimensions of 99 +/- 43 nm and surface charge of -39.9 +/- 2.2 mV. High-power ultrasonication enabled an improvement of stability features, particularly by resulting in a decrease of the average particle size, as well as zeta potential, in comparison to GO obtained by low-power exfoliation and centrifugation (287 +/- 139 nm; -29.7 +/- 1.2 mV). Remarkably, GOn aqueous dispersions were stable for up to 6 months of shelf-time, with a global process yield of 74%. This novel method enabled the production of large volumes of highly concentrated (7.5 mg mL(-1)) GOn aqueous dispersions. Chemical characterization of GOn allowed the identification of characteristic oxygen functional groups, supporting high-power ultrasonication as a fast, efficient, and productive process for reducing GO lateral size, while maintaining the material's chemical features.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 14