Issue 12, 2017

Informing rational design of graphene oxide through surface chemistry manipulations: properties governing electrochemical and biological activities

Abstract

It is increasingly realized that rational design is critical to advance potential applications and proactively preclude adverse consequences of carbon nanomaterials (CNMs). Central to this approach is the establishment of parametric relationships that correlate material properties to both their functional performance and inherent hazard. This work aims to decouple the causative mechanisms of material structure and surface chemistry as it relates to the electrochemical and biological activities of graphene oxide (GO). The results are evaluated in the context of established relationships between surface chemistry and oxygen functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (O-MWCNTs), a carbon allotrope. Systematic manipulation of GO surface chemistry is achieved through thermal annealing (under inert conditions, 200–900 °C). To further elucidate the contribution of several properties, chemical reduction was also used as an approach to differentially modify the surface chemistry. Physicochemical properties of GO and reduced GO (rGO) samples were comprehensively characterized using multiple techniques (AFM, TGA, XPS, ATR-FTIR, Raman, and DLS). The results indicate that surface chemistry is a viable design handle to control both activities. Rather than a single direct property (i.e., relative presence of carbonyl-containing moieties), it is a balance of multiple consequential properties, (extent of dispersion, defect density, and electrical conductivity) in combination with the relative presence of carbonyl moieties that synergistically contribute to electrochemical and biological activities. The identification of these governing physicochemical properties aims to inform the establishment of design parameters to guide the rational and safe design of CNMs.

Graphical abstract: Informing rational design of graphene oxide through surface chemistry manipulations: properties governing electrochemical and biological activities

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
13 janv. 2017
Accepted
23 mars 2017
First published
23 mars 2017

Green Chem., 2017,19, 2826-2838

Informing rational design of graphene oxide through surface chemistry manipulations: properties governing electrochemical and biological activities

Y. Wang and L. M. Gilbertson, Green Chem., 2017, 19, 2826 DOI: 10.1039/C7GC00159B

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements