Molecular simulation of interfacial mechanics for solvent exfoliation of graphene from graphite |
| |
Affiliation: | 1. Center for Nanochemistry, Beijing Science and Engineering Center for Nanocarbons, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China;2. College of Science, China University of Petroleum, Qingdao, 266580, China;1. LaMCScI, Faculty of Sciences, Mohammed V University in Rabat, B.P. 1014, 10000, Morocco;2. Department of Physics, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816, USA;1. Beijing Key Laboratory for Powder Technology Research and Development, Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Beijing 100191, China;2. Institute of Materials Science, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt 64287, Germany;1. State Key Laboratory of Explosion Science and Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China;2. Beijing Key Laboratory for Powder Technology Research and Development, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China;3. School of Chemistry, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China |
| |
Abstract: | The interfacial force for exfoliating a graphene monolayer from graphite in solvent media was studied by restrained molecular dynamics simulations. Three solvents, N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), and water, were considered. The interfacial structures show that NMP and DMSO have a stronger affinity with graphene surfaces. In the solvent media, there exists an inherent attractive force hindering the exfoliation, which is almost exclusively determined by the interaction between graphene sheets. Along the perpendicular exfoliation direction (relative to the graphene plane), the initial exfoliation is less dependent upon solvent conditions, and the subsequent exfoliation can be facilitated by the solvent-induced interaction. However, along the shift direction parallel to the graphene plane, the organic solvent provides a favorable driving force to assist the exfoliation, whereas water offers obstructing effect. The parallel shift of graphene requires less external power than the perpendicular shift for our simulated systems. The confined solvent molecules between graphene sheets play an important role in exfoliating and stabilizing graphene in solvent media. This result provides a microscopic understanding of the function of solvent-induced interaction in the solvent exfoliation of graphene. |
| |
Keywords: | |
本文献已被 ScienceDirect 等数据库收录! |
|