Issue 20, 2024

Graphene exfoliation using multidomain peptides

Abstract

Liquid-phase exfoliation using biomolecules in aqueous solution is a promising approach to obtain high quality 2D nanosheets. For example, the well-studied graphene-binding peptide, P1 (sequence HSSYWYAFNNKT), has been previously investigated and shown to have a good ability to exfoliate graphene sheets in aqueous conditions under sonication, maintaining colloidal stability. Building on this, the biomolecular exfoliant and assembly motif (BEAM) peptide, that features a graphene-binding domain at one end and a hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) binding domain at the other, separated by a 10-carbon fatty acid chain in the centre, is shown to exfoliate graphene sheets from bulk graphite in aqueous media. An in-depth examination of the ability of the BEAM to both facilitate sheet exfoliation under sonication conditions and also maintain colliodal stability is provided through molecular dynamics simulations. These findings open new possibilities for designing multi-functional molecules that can both exfoliate and organise 2D materials into heterostructures under ambient conditions in aqueous media.

Graphical abstract: Graphene exfoliation using multidomain peptides

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
10 Sep 2023
Accepted
15 Feb 2024
First published
27 Feb 2024
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY-NC license

J. Mater. Chem. B, 2024,12, 4824-4832

Graphene exfoliation using multidomain peptides

R. Jin, N. Brljak, J. M. Slocik, R. Rao, M. R. Knecht and T. R. Walsh, J. Mater. Chem. B, 2024, 12, 4824 DOI: 10.1039/D3TB02109B

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