Exfoliation of poly(ethylene glycol)-intercalated graphite oxide composite in water without sonication

Abstract

A novel method for exfoliating graphite oxide (GrO) was implemented through the mass water absorption of a GrO—poly(ethylene glycol) (GrO—PEG) composite. The GrO—PEG composite was prepared by intercalating PEG into the lamellae of GrO, and the variation of the basal spacing was measured by X-ray diffraction analysis. The yield of graphene was measured with an ultraviolet—visible spectrophotometer, and the properties of graphene oxide (GO) were characterized by atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectrometry, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Increasing intercalation time was found to improve the yield of GO, whereas increasing the PEG molecular weight had the opposite effect. The GO sheets produced from the intercalation-absorption-exfoliation process were found to be a four-layer structure. TEM and Raman analyses indicate that the graphitized structure and oxygen groups of GO were preserved during the exfoliation process. Most importantly, the results show that good-quality GO could be prepared via a mild method involving water absorption of a GrO—PEG composite.

Keywords

graphene oxide / poly(ethylene glycol) / intercalation / exfoliation

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