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Crumpling of graphene oxide through evaporative confinement in nanodroplets produced by electrohydrodynamic aerosolization

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Abstract

Restacking of graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets results in loss of surface area and creates limitations in its widespread use for applications. Previously, two-dimensional (2D) GO sheets have been crumpled into 3D structures to prevent restacking using different techniques. However, synthesis of nanometer size crumpled graphene particles and their direct deposition onto a substrate have not been demonstrated under room temperature condition so far. In this work, the evaporative crumpling of GO sheets into very small size (<100 nm) crumpled structures using an electrohydrodynamic atomization technique is described. Systematic study of the effect of different electrohydrodynamic atomization parameters, such as (1) substrate-to-needle distance, (2) GO concentration in the precursor solution, and (3) flow rate (droplet size) on the GO crumpling, is explored. Crumpled GO (CGO) particles are characterized online using a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS) and off-line using electron microscopy. The relation between the confinement force and the factors affecting the crumpled structure is established. Furthermore, to expand the application horizons of the structure, crumpled GO–TiO2 nanocomposites are synthesized. The method described here allows a simple and controlled production of graphene-based particles/composites with direct deposition onto any kind of substrate for a variety of applications.

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Acknowledgement

This research is based upon work supported by the Solar Energy Research Institute for India and the USA (SERIIUS) funded jointly by the US Department of Energy subcontract DE AC36-08G028308 (Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, and Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Solar Energy Technology Program, with support from the Office of International Affairs) and the Government of India subcontract IUSSTF/JCERDC-SERIIUS/2012 dated 22 Nov. 2012. Electron microscopy work was performed at the Nano Research Facility (NRF), Department of Energy, Environmental, and Chemical Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Aerosol and Air Quality Research Laboratory, Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA

    Shalinee Kavadiya, Ramesh Raliya, Michael Schrock & Pratim Biswas

  2. University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA

    Michael Schrock

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  1. Shalinee Kavadiya
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  2. Ramesh Raliya
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  3. Michael Schrock
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  4. Pratim Biswas
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Correspondence to Pratim Biswas.

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Kavadiya, S., Raliya, R., Schrock, M. et al. Crumpling of graphene oxide through evaporative confinement in nanodroplets produced by electrohydrodynamic aerosolization. J Nanopart Res 19, 43 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-017-3738-5

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