Abstract

A detailed analysis of the thermal expansion mechanism of graphite oxide to produce functionalized graphene sheets is provided. Exfoliation takes place when the decomposition rate of the epoxy and hydroxyl sites of graphite oxide exceeds the diffusion rate of the evolved gases, thus yielding pressures that exceed the van der Waals forces holding the graphene sheets together. A comparison of the Arrhenius dependence of the reaction rate against the calculated diffusion coefficient based on Knudsen diffusion suggests a critical temperature of 550 °C which must be exceeded for exfoliation to occur. As a result of their wrinkled nature, the functionalized and defective graphene sheets do not collapse back to graphite oxide but are highly agglomerated. After dispersion by ultrasonication in appropriate solvents, statistical analysis by atomic force microscopy shows that 80% of the observed flakes are single sheets.

Keywords

GrapheneMaterials scienceOxideGraphiteExfoliation jointDiffusionGraphene oxide paperThermal expansionGraphite oxidevan der Waals forceComposite materialThermal decompositionChemical engineeringNanotechnologyThermodynamicsChemistryOrganic chemistryMetallurgy

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Publication Info

Year
2007
Type
article
Volume
19
Issue
18
Pages
4396-4404
Citations
3513
Access
Closed

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Cite This

Michael McAllister, Je-Luen Li, Douglas H. Adamson et al. (2007). Single Sheet Functionalized Graphene by Oxidation and Thermal Expansion of Graphite. Chemistry of Materials , 19 (18) , 4396-4404. https://doi.org/10.1021/cm0630800

Identifiers

DOI
10.1021/cm0630800

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Data completeness: 77%