Preparation and properties of bacterial cellulose/graphene oxide composite films using dyeing method

In this study, bacterial cellulose (BC) hydrogels were cultured from a kombucha SCOBY starter. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results indicated that the dried BC exhibited an interpenetrating fibrous mat. The BC films harvested for 5, 10, and 15 days were 15–19, 14.4–24, and 30–31 μm thick, respectively. Then, BC/graphene oxide (GO) composite films were prepared via the exhaust dyeing method. GO sheets penetrated the BC matrix, resulting in the formation of a BC/GO composite, as revealed by the SEM analysis results. The mechanical properties of the composite films were investigated. Compared with virgin BC, the tensile strength of the composite films was higher, while the %E at break was lower, resulting in a significant increase in the Young's modulus. The X-ray diffraction results indicated that an increase in the dyeing time (0.5–2 h) gradually induced cellulose crystalline conformation, which in turn affected the swelling ability, mechanical properties, and electrical properties of the BC/GO composite films. After the reduction of GO to reduced GO (rGO), flexible conductive BC/rGO films were obtained, as confirmed by their resistivity values. Thus, flexible conductive composite films with excellent mechanical properties were successfully fabricated.     

水热法制备还原氧化石墨烯及其导电性调控

导电性可调控的还原氧化石墨烯（rGO）在结构功能材料和化工新材料等领域具有重要的应用前景。本文利用水热还原法实现了rGO的绿色制备,并通过调控反应温度和时间,获得了电导率可控的rGO产品,其电导率范围为10^-4～1 S·cm^-1。采用UV-vis、FT-IR、XPS、SEM、XRD和Raman等表征方法系统研究了rGO还原过程中结构与组成的变化。发现GO还原过程中,其含氧官能团于120℃时开始明显分解,高于140℃后含量显著降低,GO片层sp2区域逐渐恢复,电导率逐渐增大到1 S·cm^-1,同时层间距从8.2 Å减少到3.6 Å（1 Å=0.1 nm）。对比热还原法,水热法有效避免了rGO片层的堆叠,产物分散性较好,有望规模化制备导电性可控的rGO产品。本研究成果对rGO生产和应用具有重要意义。     

Effect of electrolyte on the supercapacitive behaviour of copper oxide/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite

Cupric oxide/reduced graphene oxide (CuO/rGO) nanocomposites were synthesized through a chemical reduction method using hydrazine hydrate as the reducing agent. The morphology, elemental composition, and bonding network of the CuO/rGOnanocomposites were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Raman spectroscopy respectively. The XRD results reveal lattice spacing and lattice strain from 3.371 to 3.428 Å and 1.05 × 10⁻³to 5.44 × 10⁻³ respectively, with the increasing ratio of rGO: CuO from 1:1 to 1:5. The cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS)and galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD) studyofCuO/rGOas the electrode material showed excellent super-capacitive behavior in H₂SO₄ over Na₂SO₄ electrolytes. Moreover CuO/rGO nanocomposites exhibited better capacitance retention in H₂SO₄(75.69%) compared to Na₂SO₄(12.06%).     

Improved output performance of hybrid composite films with nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide

In this research, graphene-based ceramic/polymer hybrid composite films for energy harvesting devices were prepared and analyzed. Nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide (N-rGO) conductive elements were embedded in a ceramic/polymer matrix as floating electrodes to form a micro-capacitor composite structure. The effects of nitrogen atom substitution on the rGO materials were investigated and their conducting properties improved. The employment of rGO- and N-rGO-based floating electrodes resulted in the formation of micro-capacitors and an increase in the potential energy of the composite films. The increase in the potential energy consequently increased the output energy of the energy harvesters. The highest voltage and energy density of the composite films were 8.5 V and 1.46 mJ/cm³, respectively, for the N-rGO based ceramic/polymer composite film.     

P(VDF-TrFE)-based polymer nanocomposites comprising of reduced graphene oxide decorated with CoFe2O4@MCM 41 for efficient microwave absorption in X-band

Lightweight polymer nanocomposites (PNCs) dispersed with nanofiller RGO/CoFe₂O₄@MCM41, namely RCM (using hydrothermal process), have been prepared and characterized. Using the solution cast technique, PNCs {(P(VDF-TrFE)/LiTFSI/EMIMTFSI) + x wt% RCM, where x = 5, 7.5, and 10 in wt%} have been successfully synthesized. The synthesized PNCs possess good structural, thermal, mechanical, and magnetic properties because of the dispersed nanofiller within the polymeric matrix, which forms a 3-dimensional interconnected conducting network. The optimized PFE15Li50IL7.5RCM polymer nanocomposite also exhibits total shielding effectiveness (SE_T) of ~19.88 dB at 9.2 GHz for a thickness of 1.18 mm corresponding to 89.07% effective absorption (A_eff) in the X-band (8.2–12.4 GHz).     

Synthesis of cellulose/reduced graphene oxide/polyaniline nanocomposite and its properties

A series of conductive nanocomposites cellulose/reduced graphene oxide/polyaniline (cellulose/RGO/PANi) were synthesized via in situ oxidative polymerization of aniline on cellulose/RGO with different RGO loading to study the effect of RGO on the properties of nanocomposites. The results showed that when RGO is inserted into cellulose/PANi structure, its thermal stability and conductivity are increased. So that adding of only 0.3 wt% RGO into the cellulose/PANi structure, its conductivity is increased from 1.1 × 1 10^?1 to 5.2 × 110^?1 S/cm. Scanning electron microscopy results showed that the PANi nanoparticles are formed a continuous spherical shape over the cellulose/RGO template; this increases the thermal stability of nanocomposite.     

Enhanced sound absorption properties of porous ceramics modified by graphene oxide films

Under the condition of constant thickness, improving the low-frequency sound absorption performance of conventional sound-absorbing materials is a challenging research topic. To address this issue, a new reduced graphene oxide/polyvinyl alcohol (RGO/PVA) porous composite ceramic was fabricated using freeze-drying and optimized by redesigning the internal connecting pores of porous ceramic matrixes with a reticular microstructure using RGO and PVA. The as-prepared porous structure showed significant enhancement in the low-frequency sound absorption band compared with pristine porous ceramics. In addition, the hybrid porous ceramics exhibited low thermal conductivity. These favorable properties indicate that the hybrid sound-absorbing ceramics have potential application prospects for noise reduction in the fields of construction and electrical and mechanical devices.     

In situ preparation of reduced graphene oxide reinforced acrylic rubber by self-assembly

Reduced graphene oxide reinforced acrylic rubber (ACM/RGO) was in situ prepared via self-assembly method in the presence of hydrazine hydrate as reducing agent. X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed the chemical structure of ACM/RGO, and transmission electron microscope and scanning electron microscope demonstrated that RGO was uniformly dispersed in ACM matrix. Due to the barrier role of RGO sheets, the resistances to heat and water of ACM/RGO were obviously improved. Furthermore, the mechanical properties were also largely affected by the incorporation of RGO. With 2 parts per hundred rubber of RGO, the tensile strength and Shore A hardness of ACM/RGO reached 18.8 MPa and 73, and the elongation at break maintained at 236%. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 47187.     

Synthesis of hydrophobic carbon nanotubes/reduced graphene oxide composite films by flash light irradiation

Carbon nanotubes/graphene composites have superior mechanical, electrical and electrochemistry properties with carbon nanotubes as a hydrophobicity boosting agent. Their extraordinary hydrophobic performance is highly suitable for electrode applications in lithium ion batteries and supercapacitors which often employ organic electrolytes. Also the hydrophobic features enable the oil enrichment for the crude oil separation from seawater. The ever reported synthesis routes towards such a composite either involve complicated multi-step reactions, e.g., chemical vapor depositions, or lead to insufficient extrusion of carbon nanotubes in the chemical reductions of graphene oxide, e.g., fully embedding between the compact graphene oxide sheets. As a consequence, the formation of standalone carbon nanotubes over graphene sheets remains of high interests. Herein we use the facile flash light irradiation method to induce the reduction of graphene oxides in the presence of carbon nanotubes. Photographs, micrographs, X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis all indicate that graphene oxides has been reduced. And the contact angle tests confirm the excellent hydrophobic performances of the synthesized carbon nanotube/reduced graphene oxide composite films. This one-step treatment represents a straightforward and high efficiency way for the reduction of carbon nanotubes/graphene oxides composites.

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Polymer-derived ceramic/graphene oxide architected composite with high electrical conductivity and enhanced thermal resistance

A low temperature method for the fabrication of architected ceramic composites contining graphene is developed based on the infiltration of lightweight graphene oxide (GO) micro-lattices with a preceramic polymer. Self-supported highly porous three-dimensional (3D) GO structures fabricated by direct ink writing are infiltrated with a liquid organic-polysilazane (a compound of Si, C, H, N), and subsequently pyrolyzed at temperatures of 800–1000?ºC to activate the ceramic conversion. These ceramic composites replicate the patterned GO skeleton and, whereas the graphene network provides the conductive path for the composite (electrical conductivity in the range 0.2–4?S?cm^?1), the ceramic wrapping serves as a protective barrier against atmosphere, temperature (up to 900?°C in air) and even direct flame. These structured composites also show hydrophobicity (wetting angle above 120°) and better load bearing capacity than the corresponding 3D GO lattice. The process is very versatile, being applicable to different liquid precursors.     

Enhanced mechanical and thermal properties of polyurethane/functionalised graphene oxide composites by in situ polymerisation

ABSTRACT

Isocyanate-functionalised graphene (iGO) was prepared and incorporated into a thermoplastic polyurethane via an in situ polymerisation. Firstly, graphene oxide was successfully modified using a mixture of isocyanate- and diisocyanate-containing compounds, leading to the formation of good dispersions of resulting functional graphene oxide in organic solvents, such as N,N-dimethylacetamide and N,N-dimethylformamide. The addition of iGO into polyurethane matrix improved both mechanical and thermal properties in the polyurethane/iGO composites relative to neat polyurethane. An addition of only 0.03?wt-% of functionalised graphene into the polyurethane increased Young’s modulus by 1.4 times and tensile strength by two times. Meanwhile, the elongation at break was similar to that of the neat polymer. In addition, dynamic mechanical analysis also confirmed the improvement in storage modulus of the polymer composites especially at high-temperature range. We believe that the developed modification approach for graphene oxide and polyurethane/graphene composites presented herein could be useful in polymer/graphene composite development.     

The effect of ambient humidity on the electrical properties of graphene oxide films

ABSTRACT: We investigate the effect of water adsorption on the electrical properties of graphene oxide (GO) films using the DC measurement and AC complex impedance spectroscopy. GO suspension synthesized by a modified Hummer's method is deposited on Au interdigitated electrodes. The strong electrical interaction of water molecules with GO films was observed through electrical characterizations. The DC measurement results show that the electrical properties of GO films are humidity- and applied voltage amplitude dependent. The AC complex impedance spectroscopy method is used to analyze the mechanism of electrical interaction between water molecules and GO films in detail. At low humidity, GO films exhibits poor conductivity and can be seen as an insulator. However, at high humidity, the conductivity of GO films increases due to the enhancement of ion conduction. Our systematic research on this effect provides the fundamental supports for the development of graphene devices originated from solution-processed graphene oxide.     

Gold nanoparticles/single-stranded DNA-reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites based electrochemical biosensor for highly sensitive detection of cholesterol

High density and uniform distribution of the gold nanoparticles functionalized single-stranded DNA modified reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites were obtained by non-covalent interaction. The positive gold nanoparticles prepared by phase inversion method exhibited good dimensional homogeneity and dispersibility, which could readily combine with single-stranded DNA modified reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites by electrostatic interactions. The modification of single-stranded DNA endowed the reduced graphene oxide with favorable biocompatibility and provided the preferable surface with negative charge for further assembling of gold nanoparticles to obtain gold nanoparticles/single-stranded DNA modified reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites with better conductivity, larger specific surface area, biocompatibility and electrocatalytic characteristics. The as-prepared nanocomposites were applied as substrates for the construction of cholesterol oxidase modified electrode and well realized the direct electron transfer between the enzyme and electrode. The modified gold nanoparticles could further catalyze the products of cholesterol oxidation catalyzed by cholesterol oxidase, which was beneficial to the enzyme-catalyzed reaction. The as-fabricated bioelectrode exhibited excellent electrocatalytic performance for the cholesterol with a linear range of 7.5−280.5 μmol·L⁻¹, a low detection limit of 2.1 μmol·L⁻¹, good stability and reproducibility. Moreover, the electrochemical biosensor showed good selectivity and acceptable accuracy for the detection of cholesterol in human serum samples.     

一种氧化还原石墨烯的稳定水溶液分散体的合成方法

提供了一种在聚苯乙烯磺酸钠（PSS）的帮助下,合成氧化还原石墨烯稳定水溶液分散体的简单方法。这种方法制备的分散体非常稳定,长达几个星期都没有聚集或者沉淀。通过各种方法对材料进行了表征。扫描电子显微镜（SEM）和紫外-可见光吸收光谱的结果表明PSS紧密地包裹住了石墨烯,形成功能化石墨烯;石墨烯的亲水性大大提高。傅里叶变换红外光谱（FTIR）表明O=S=O官能团的存在,说明石墨烯中存在PSS。X射线光电子能谱（XPS）提供了C/S的原子浓度比等,进一步说明了PSS的存在。结果表明,覆盖有PSS的氧化还原石墨烯能够应用于石墨烯的复合材料中。     

Electrical conductivity of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):p-toluene sulfonate films hybridized with reduced graphene oxide

Reduced graphene oxide-poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):p-toluene sulfonate (rGO-PEDOT:PTS) hybrid electrode films were synthesized directly on a substrate by interfacial polymerization between an oxidizing solid layer and liquid droplets of 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) produced by electrospraying. The EDOT reduced the graphene oxide by donating electrons during its transformation into PEDOT:PTS, and hybrid films consisting of rGO distributed in a matrix of PEDOT:PTS were obtained. These rGO-PEDOT:PTS hybrid films showed excellent electrical conductivities as high as 1,500 S/cm and a sheet resistance of 70 Ω sq^-1. The conductivity values are up to 50% greater than those of films containing conductive PEDOT:PTS alone. These results confirm that highly conductive rGO-PEDOT:PTS hybrid films can potentially be used as organic transparent electrodes.     

Improved mechanical and barrier properties of starch film with reduced graphene oxide modified by SDBS

Starch is regarded as one of the most promising biopolymers to replace the fossil resources. However, due to the poor mechanical properties, high sensitivity to humidity, and low barrier property, the development of starch‐based materials has been limited. In this study, they improved the mechanical and barrier properties of starch film with reduced graphene oxide (RGO) modified by sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS). The hydrophilia of modified RGO (r‐RGO) was improved and result in a good dispersion in oxidized starch (OS) matrix. The tensile strength of the r‐RGO‐4/OS film increased to 58.5 MPa which was more than three times of the OS film (17.2 MPa). Besides, both the water vapor and oxygen barrier properties of r‐RGO/OS film were improved greatly compared with OS and GO/OS films. Moreover, the r‐RGO/OS film could protect against UV light effectively due to its lightproof performance. In conclusion, the r‐RGO/OS composite film has great potential applications in packaging industry. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134, 44910.     

Enhanced thermal conductivity and dimensional stability of flexible polyimide nanocomposite film by addition of functionalized graphene oxide

Polyimide (PI) nanocomposites with both enhanced thermal conductivity and dimensional stability were achieved by incorporating glycidyl methacrylate‐grafted graphene oxide (g‐GO) in the PI matrix. The PI/g‐GO nanocomposites exhibited linear enhancement in thermal conductivity when the amount of incorporated g‐GO was less than 10 wt%. With the addition of 10 wt% of g‐GO to PI (PI/g‐GO‐10), the thermal conductivity increased to 0.81 W m^?1 K^?1 compared to 0.13 W m^?1 K^?1 for pure PI. Moreover, the PI/g‐GO‐10 composite exhibited a low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of 29 ppm °C^?1. The values of CTE and thermal conductivity continuously decreased and increased, respectively, as the g‐GO content increased to 20 wt%. Combined with excellent thermal stability and high mechanical strength, the highly thermally conducting PI/g‐GO‐10 nanocomposite is a potential substrate material for modern flexible printed circuits requiring efficient heat transfer capability.     

Catalytic performance of sulfate-grafted graphene oxide for esterification of acetic acid with methanol

Graphene oxide possesses tremendous mechanical and electronic properties in combination with large surface area and accessible active sites leading to the development of novel innovative heterogeneous catalysts. The present study elaborates the catalytic activity of graphene oxide, enhanced by grafting active sulfate groups on its surface to result as a superior catalyst. The catalyst was evaluated in the model acetic acid esterification reaction with methanol in terms of acid conversion. Catalysts consisting of varied sulfate concentrations and calcination time were synthesized and optimized for its best catalytic activity. The prepared catalysts (GO-SO₄) were characterized using XRD, FT-IR, SEM-EDS, XPS, and BET. A 44% enhancement in catalyst activity was observed using sulfate-grafted graphene oxide (GO-SO₄) catalyst over bare GO due to the synergistic effect of sulfate ions. The catalyst can be separated out by simple filtration. Further, the influence of operating process parameters including catalyst loading, and the reaction temperature was evaluated toward the maximum acid conversion. In addition, the detailed kinetic study was also done in this system using Pseudo-homogeneous model.     

A sensitive biosensor for cyanide detection using modified glassy carbon electrode with reduced graphene oxide and immobilization of horseradish peroxidase

Cyanide is a highly poisonous and hazardous substance which may release into the environment from natural sources or industrial effluent; therefore, cyanide detection is a fundamental step to prevent environmental pollution and secure health and safety. In this study, we prepared a sensitive amperometric inhibition biosensor for cyanide detection by immobilization of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) enzyme and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) on the surface of glassy carbon electrode (GCE). To do so, we performed the amperometric measurement by modified GCE to test its efficiency in detecting cyanide. The optimum conditions of pH equal to 7.5, −100 mV applied potential, 0.7 μM mediator concentration, and 0.5 mM substrate concentration were found. Then, experiments were performed at different boundary conditions in a range of 0.1 to 10 μM cyanide concentration at optimal conditions and a low detection limit of 0.01 μM was obtained. Also, the possible mechanism of inhibition was analyzed based on the Michalis–Menten equation and non-competitive inhibition was observed. Due to high sensitivity, low detection limit, and low cost, this biosensor is proposed as a useful method for cyanide determination in real samples.     

Investigation of covalently grafted polyacrylate chains onto graphene oxide for epoxy composites with reinforced mechanical performance

To enhance the dispersion and interfacial interaction of graphene–epoxy matrix, polyacrylate chains grafted graphene oxide (PA-GO) was manufactured with A-174 functionalized GO (A-GO), methyl acrylate, and glycidyl methacrylate via free-radical random copolymerization technique. Fourier transform infrared, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectrum, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance were performed to investigate the structure of A-GO and PA-GO. Then, the PA-GO was incorporated into epoxy resin via in situ solution intercalation dispersion method in order to form an interpenetrating network structure with epoxy resin. Field emission scanning electron microscope results indicate that the PA-GO exhibits excellent dispersion and interfacial compatibility in the epoxy matrix. In compared with pure epoxy, the tensile strength and impact strength of the epoxy composite with 1 wt % PA-GO were shifted from 62.78 ± 2.54 to 70.68 ± 2.02 MPa (about 12.6%) and 3.55 ± 0.41 to 4.98 ± 0.33 kJ m⁻² (about 40.3%), respectively. Moreover, increased storage modulus is also observed in the dynamic mechanical analysis measurements compared with that of neat epoxy resin. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 47842.