Characterization of graphene oxide obtained from modifications of Hummers' method and its application for reinforcing textiles

Identifier:  TDX:3565

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/TDX3565

Authors:  Aixart Forés, Jordi

Abstract:
Graphene Oxide (GO) is a novel nanomaterial related to the well-known graphene. Its popularity lies in the ease of production, scalability, and affinity with water, which facilitates its handling and application. The most widely used reaction for the obtention of GO is the Hummers method, where graphite is oxidized using strong oxidants in acid media. The result is an aqueous dispersion of GO flakes which contain different oxo-functional groups. Chemistry and morphology of the GO flakes strongly depend on the reaction parameters. Surprisingly, it is common to see studies where GO is used in an application without much description of its preparation, leading to numerous studies about application of GO but a clear need for fundamental research on the preparation of GO. In this thesis, fundamental studies have been made about Hummers’ method and the morphological and chemical characteristics of the GO flakes. Different GOs have been obtained by modifications of reaction time and temperature of Hummers’ method. The obtained GOs have been characterized describing their different morphological and chemical properties. The same GOs were subjected to intense purification procedures and exfoliation commonly used in the literature, observing that they have an important effect on the characteristics of the GOs, fragmentating the GO flakes into smaller pieces while reducing their chemical richness. With our modifications of the Hummers method, GOs with tailorable morphology and chemistry have been obtained.