A citric acid functionalized graphene oxide nanocomposite was successfully synthesized and the structure and morphology of the nanocatalyst were comprehensively characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, X-ray diffraction patterns, atomic force microscopy images, scanning electron microscopy images, transmission electron microscopy images, and thermogravimetric analysis. The application of this nanocatalyst was exemplified in an important condensation reaction to give imidazole derivatives in high yields and short reaction times at room temperature. The catalyst shows high catalytic activity and could be reused after simple work up and easy purification for at least six cycles without significant loss of activity, which indicates efficient immobilizing of citrate groups on the surface of graphene oxide sheets.

To formulate folate receptor (FR)-specific graphene-based electrochemical electrodes, a folic acid (FA) derivative attached with two pyrene molecules on the glutamate tail of FA was synthesized. The resulting pyrene-functionalized FA (FA-Py) presented the spontaneous noncovalent binding on chemically reduced graphene oxides (rGO) through an π-π interaction. Ultrathin morphology, high water-resistance, and preservation of intact FR-specific pteroates from the rGO/FA-Py assembly allow this assembly to be exploited as robust and FR-specific electrochemical electrode materials. The limits of detecting rGO/FA-Py modified electrodes were found to be as low as 3.07 nM in FR concentrations in cyclic voltammetry analysis.

In this study, graphene oxide(GO) was used as drug carriers to amorphize poorly watersoluble drugs via a co-spray drying process. Two poorly water-soluble drugs, fenofibrate and ibuprofen, were investigated. It was found that the drug molecules could be in the graphene nanosheets in amorphous or nano crystalline forms and thus have a significantly enhanced dissolution rate compared with the counterpart crystalline form. In addition, the dissolution of the amorphous drug enwrapped with the graphene oxide was higher than that of the amorphous drug in activated carbon (AC) even though the AC possessed a larger specific surface area than that of the graphene oxide. The amorphous formulations also remained stable under accelerated storage conditions (40°C and 75% relative humidity) for a study period of 14 months. Therefore, graphene oxide could be a potential drug carrier and amorphization agent for poorly water-soluble drugs to enhance their bioavailability.

Graphene is an interesting material because it has remarkable properties, such as high intrinsic carrier mobility, good thermal conductivity, large specific surface area, high transparency, and high Young’s modulus values. It is produced by mechanical and chemical exfoliation, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), and epitaxial growth. In particular, large-area and uniform single- and few-layer growth of graphene is possible using transition metals via a thermal CVD process. In this study, we utilize polystyrene and boron oxide, which are a carbon precursor and a doping source, respectively, for synthesis of pristine graphene and boron doped graphene. We confirm the graphene grown by the polystyrene and the boron oxide by the optical microscope and the Raman spectra. Raman spectra of boron doped graphene is shifted to the right compared with pristine graphene and the crystal quality of boron doped graphene is recovered when the synthesis time is 15 min. Sheet resistance decreases from approximately 2000 Ω/sq to 300Ω/sq with an increasing synthesis time for the boron doped graphene.

Membrane fabrication is a critical area that hampers forward osmosis (FO) technology from industrialization. Herein, electrospun poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) nanofiber (NF) was used as a support layer for thin film composite (TFC) FO membrane. The PVA NF was incorporated with sulfonated graphene oxide (sGO). The oxygenous-rich sGO enhanced the hydrophilicity and mechanical strength of PVA NF as revealed by contact angle and tensile strength measurements, and pure water flux. On this support, the active polyamide layer was formed through interfacial polymerization. Meanwhile, FO performance of sGO/PVA TFC membrane is currently being evaluated. This work was supported by NRF of Korea funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT (2016R1A2B1009221 and 2017R1A2B2002109) and Ministry of Education (2009-0093816 and 22A20130012051 (BK21Plus)).

본 연구에서는 폴리아미드 층 내에 그래핀 옥사이드를 첨가시킴으로써 피페라진 기반 나노여과막의 내산성을 높이고자 하였다. 50% 황산 용액에 나노여과막을 침지시키며 주기적으로 MgSO4 염제거율을 확인한 결과, 그래핀 옥사이드 함유 나노여과막의 경우 95% 이상으로 염제거율을 유지한 기간이 대조군에 비해 4.7배로 길어졌다. 이에 반해, 산화 탄소 나노 튜브는 그래핀 옥사이드와 비슷한 화학적 특성을 가지고 있음에도 나노여과막에 첨가했을 때 내산성에 큰 효과를 나타내지 못하였다. 이에 그래핀 옥사이드의 화학적 성질에서 기인하는 폴리아미드 돌출 희생층이나 폴리아미드와의 수소결합보다 형태적 특성에서 기인하는 장벽 효과가 내산성 향상에 가장 주요한 역할을 했다고 여겨진다.

In this research, a novel and efficient quinoline thioacetamide functionalized magnetic graphene oxide composite (GO@Fe3O4@QTA) was synthesized and utilized for dispersive magnetic solid phase preconcentration of Cd(II) and Ni(II) ions in urine and various food samples. A number of diverse methods were employed for characterization of the new nanosorbent. The design of experiments approach and response surface methodology were applied to monitor and find the parameters that affect the extraction performance. After sorption and elution steps, the concentrations of target analytes were measured by employing FAAS. The highest extraction performance was achieved under the following experimental conditions: pH, 5.8; sorption time, 6.0 min; GO@Fe3O4@QTA amount, 17 mg; 2.4 mL 1.1 mol L-l HNO3 solution as the eluent and elution time, 13.0 min. The detection limit is 0.02 and 0.2 ng mL-1 for Cd(II), and Ni(II) ions, respectively. The accuracy of the new method was investigated by analyzing two certified reference materials (sea food mix, Seronorm LOT NO 2525 urine powder). The interfering study revealed that there are no interferences from commonly occurring ions on the extractability of target ions. Finally, the new method was satisfactorily employed for rapid extraction and determination of target ions in urine and various food samples.

In the present work, capability of thymolphthalein-grafted graphene oxide, which was successfully synthesized in this study, in stabilization of polypropylene against thermal oxidation were investigated and compared with that of SONGNOX 1010, a commercially used phenolic antioxidant for the polymer. The modified graphene oxide were incorporated into polypropylene via melt mixing. State of distribution of the nanoplatelets in the polymer matrix was examined using scanning electron microscopy and was shown to be homogeneous. Measurements of oxidation onset temperature and oxidative induction time revealed that thymolphthalein-grafted graphene oxide modifies thermo-oxidative stability of the polymer in the melt state remarkably. However, the efficiency of the nanoplatelets in stabilization of polypropylene against thermal oxidation in melt state was shown to be inferior to that of SONGNOX 1010. Furthermore, oven ageing experiments followed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed that the modified graphene oxide improves thermo-oxidative stability of the polymer strongly in the solid state, so that its stabilization efficiency is comparable to that of SONGNOX 1010.

Gold functionalized graphene oxide (GOAu) nanoparticles were reinforced in acrylonitrilebutadiene rubbers (NBR) via solution and melt mixing methods. The synthesized NBR-GOAu nanocomposites have shown significant improvements in their rate of curing, mechanical strength, thermal stability and electrical properties. The homogeneous dispersion of GOAu nanoparticles in NBR has been considered responsible for the enhanced thermal conductivity, thermal stability, and mechanical properties of NBR nanocomposites. In addition, the NBR-GOAu nanocomposites were able to show a decreasing trend in their dielectric constant (ε´) and electrical resistance on straining within a range of 10–70%. The decreasing trend in ε´ is attributed to the decrease in electrode and interfacial polarization on straining the nanocomposites. The decreasing trend in electrical resistance in the nanocomposites is likely due to the attachment of Au nanoparticles to the surface of GO sheets which act as electrical interconnects. The Au nanoparticles have been proposed to function as ball rollers in-between GO nanosheets to improve their sliding on each other and to improve contacts with neighboring GO nanosheets, especially on straining the nanocomposites. The NBR-GOAu nanocomposites have exhibited piezoelectric gauge factor (GFε´) of ~0.5, and piezo-resistive gauge factor (GFR) of ~0.9 which clearly indicated that GOAu reinforced NBR nanocomposites are potentially useful in fabrication of structural, high temperature responsive, and stretchable strain-sensitive sensors.

Recently, Graphene Oxide (GO) has extensively studied as a membrane material due to its 2D structure and high CO2 sorption property, however, GO membrane still has challenging issues; low gas permeability to apply to practical system and low stability under dry condition. In this study, we introduced GO as a nanofiller in CO2-philic polymer matrix because GO has molecular sieving property and 2D structure. First, we mixed two kinds of PEO-containing polymers by controlling the ratio of free volume in polymer networks to increase the permeability, and then, we added GO in the mixed polymer matrix for improving the CO2/N2 selectivity. Finally, we fabricated GO-incorporated mixed matrix membranes with high CO2/N2 separation performance beyond the upper bound. High long-term stability and high CO2/N2 selectivity were also achieved in mixed gas system.

Separation of light olefin and paraffin element is one of the most crucial issuses in petrochemical industry due to its profitable potential as precursor of petrochemical products, but facing technical predicament from similar physicochemical properties of two components. Membrane technology is considered as a good alternative for current cryogenic separation, however, current olefin/paraffin separation membranes are suffered from generally low permeability and selectivity, as well as its durability problem. Here, we have synthesized mixed matrix composite membrane using polyimide-based ZIF-8/graphene oxide 2-D nanocomposite, presenting high propylene/ propane separation performance and long-term stability.

본 연구에서는 그래핀 함량에 따른 고분자 나노섬유의 물리적 특성 변화에 대해 연구하였다. 전기방사법으로 GO PAN 나노섬유 복합체 막을 제조하였으며, 접촉각⋅SEM⋅인장강도에 관한 실험을 진행하였다. GO+계면활성제를 이용 하여 나노섬유에 존재하는 GO의 함량을 증가시켰다. 제조한 나노섬유의 경우 기존의 나노섬유보다 강한 기계적 강도를 나타내었다. 이러한 결과를 바탕으로 수처리 분리막의 연구 기초자료로 활용될 수 있을 것으로 기대된다.

Different phytochemicals obtained from various natural plant sources are used as reduction agents for preparing gold, copper, silver and platinum nanoparticles. In this work a green method of reducing graphene oxide (rGO) by an inexpensive, effective and scalable method using olive leaf aqueous extract as the reducing agent, was used to produce rGO. Both GO and rGO were prepared and investigated by ultraviolet and visible spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, cyclic voltammetry, X-ray photoelectron spectra, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and powder X-ray diffraction.

We studied the basic properties and fabrication of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) prepared using eco-friendly reduction agents in the graphene solution process. Hydrazine is generally used to reduce graphene oxide (GO), which results in polluting emissions as well as fixed nitrogen functional groups on different defects in the graphene sheets. To replace hydrazine, we developed eco-friendly reduction agents with similar or better reducing properties, and selected of them for further analysis. In this study, GO layers were produced from graphite flakes using a modified Hummer’s method, and rGO layers were reduced using hydrazine hydrate, L-ascorbic acid, and gluconic acid. We measured the particle sizes and the dispersion stabilities in the rGO dispersed solvents for the three agents and analyzed the structural, electrical, and optical properties of the rGO films. The results showed that the degree of reduction was in the order L-ascorbic acid ≥ hydrazine > glucose. GO reduced using L-ascorbic acid had a sheet resistance of 121 kΩ/sq, while that reduced using gluconic acid showed worse electrical properties than the other two reduction agents. Therefore, L-ascorbic acid is the most suitable eco-friendly reduction agent that can be substituted for hydrazine.

본 연구에서는 graphene oxide (GO)를 polyacrylonitrile (PAN)에 첨가하여 전기방사법을 이용해 나노섬유 복합막 을 제조한 뒤 물리적 특성을 관찰하였다. GO의 제조는 개선된 Hummer’s 방법을 이용하였으며, 표면처리가 되지 않은 GO의 경우 0.5 wt% 이상에서 전기방사가 이루어지지 않았다. GO의 안정성 및 분산도 증가를 개선하기 위해 계면활성제를 이용하 여 GO의 표면처리를 하였다. 표면처리가 된 GO를 사용하여 나노섬유 복합막의 GO의 함량을 0.5 wt% 이상 첨가할 수 있었 다. 특히, 표면처리가 된 GO가 첨가된 나노섬유 복합막은 향상된 물리적 특성을 가지며, 이는 나노섬유 분리막 내의 GO의 분산도와 상관관계가 있는 것으로 보인다.

We report on the dispersion state of partially reduced graphene oxide (PRGO) in organic solvents, namely methyl ethyl ketone, ethyl acetate, methylene chloride, toluene, and xylene, by controlling the carbon to oxygen (C/O) atomic ratio of the PRGOs. A two-phase solvent exchange method is also proposed to transfer PRGO from water to an aprotic solvent, such as methyl ethyl ketone. We achieve relatively good dispersion in aprotic and non-polar solvents by controlling the C/O atomic ratio of the PRGOs and applying the two-phase solvent exchange method. There is an increase in the glass transition temperatures with the dispersion of PRGOs into amorphous polymers, in particular a 4.4°C increase for poly(methyl methacrylate) and 3.0°C increase for polycarbonate. Good dispersion of PRGO in a nonpolar polymer, such as linear low density polyethylene, is also obtained.

Polyurethane (PU) nanofibers containing graphene oxide (GO) and Ag doped functionalized reduced graphene oxide (Ag-RGO) were successfully prepared via the electrospinning technique. The uniform distribution of GO sheets along with Ag nanoparticle in the nanofibers was investigated by scanning electron microscopy and the elemental mapping technique. X-ray diffraction and thermal gravimetric analysis verified the presence of GO and Ag in the bicomposite nanofibrous mats. Antibacterial tests against Escherichia coli demonstrated that the addition of GO and Ag-RGO to the PU nanofiber greatly enhanced bactericidal efficiency. Overall, these features of the synthesized nanofibers make them a promising candidate material in the biomedical field for applications such as tissue engineering, wound healing, and drug delivery systems.

에너지 저장 매체는 소형화, 고효율화 및 그린에너지 정책에 부합하면서 연구개발이 진행되고 있으며 유연성과 신축성을 갖는 디스플레이나 웨어러블 전자기기의 발전에 상응하는 에너지 저장 매체 의 개발이 시급한 상황으로 이를 실현 할 수 있는 물질가운데, 탄소나노 재료중의 하나인 그래핀과 그 래핀 하이브리드와 같은 뛰어난 전기화학적 특성을 지니고 있는 나노 재료가 각광을 받고 있다. 또한 슈퍼커패시터와 배터리 및 연료전지 등과 같은 에너지 저장 소자에 응용하기 위한 연구가 활발하게 진 행 중에 있으며, 여러 가지 에너지 저장 매체 중 단시간에 고출력을 구현하고 장시간 신뢰성을 갖추며, 빠른 충·방전 순환특성을 가지는 슈퍼커패시터는 차세대 에너지원으로 많은 관심을 받고 있다. 본 연구에서는 플렉시블한 특성을 갖는 그래핀과 전도성 고분자 하이브리드 전극을 기반으로 하는 슈퍼커패시터를 개발하고자 하였으며 환원된 그래핀 옥사이드/폴리피롤 복합재료를 이용하여, 전기화학 적 특성을 최대화 하였다. 그 결과 굽힘 시험 전 전극의 초기 용량값은 198.5 F g-1 이었으며, 500번의 굽힘 시험 후 128.3 F g-1로 감소하는 것을 확인하였으나, 전극의 초기 전기 용량 값의 65 %의 성능을 유지하였다.