Dispersion stability of chemically reduced graphene oxide nanoribbons in organic solvents

Abstract

In this study, the dispersion stability of graphene oxide nanoribbons (GONRs) and chemically reduced GONRs (CR-GONRs) in various organic solvents was investigated. Homogeneous colloidal suspensions of GONRs were obtained in hydrophilic solvents such as water, N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP). After chemical reduction, amphiphilic dispersion behaviour of CR-GONRs was observed over a wide range of solvents including water, methanol, ethanol, DMF, NMP, acetone, styrene, and xylene. In contrast, the dispersion stability of CR-GONRs was poor in ambiguously hydrophilic or hydrophobic solvents such as tetrahydrofuran, methyl methacrylate, and chloroform.