Supramolecular ionic liquid based on graphene oxide

Abstract

For the purpose of preparing liquefied graphene oxide (GO), a process consisting of sulfonation with sodium sulfanilic acid and ionization with bulky amine-terminated Jeffamine® was designed and performed. The obtained hybrid fluid is actually a supramolecular ionic liquid (SIL) with sulfonated GO as the central anions and the terminal ammonium groups of Jeffamine® as the surrounding cations. The successful grafting of the GO sheets with Jeffamine® via an ionic structure was verified and the morphology of the SIL was characterized. The SIL based on GO (GO-SIL) exhibits excellent solubility and amphiphilicity. The rheological measurements confirm the essential viscoelasticity and the liquid-like behavior of GO-SIL. The present GO based SIL suggests promising applications in the fabrication of various GO or graphene based composite materials. In addition, the new functionalization method may guide the future work on acquiring derivatives with tunable properties by simply changing the bulky canopy.