Manganese oxide nanosheets and a 2D hybrid of graphene–manganese oxide nanosheets synthesized by liquid-phase exfoliation. (6th May 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Coelho, João; Mendoza-Sánchez, Beatriz; Pettersson, Henrik; Pokle, Anuj; McGuire, Eva K; Long, Edmund; McKeon, Lorcan; Bell, Alan P; Nicolosi, Valeria
• Is Part Of: 2D materials. Volume 2:Number 2(2015)
• Publication Date: 2015-05-06
• Subjects: manganese oxide nanosheet -- graphene–manganese oxide nanosheet hybrid -- co-exfoliation; Graphene -- Periodicals; Materials science -- Periodicals; Nanostructured materials -- Periodicals; 620.115
• DOI: 10.1088/2053-1583/2/2/025005
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2053-1583

Abstract

Abstract: Manganese oxide nanosheets were synthesized using liquid-phase exfoliation that achieved suspensions in isopropanol (IPA) with concentrations of up to 0.45 mg ml −1 . A study of solubility parameters showed that the exfoliation was optimum in N, N-dimethylformamide followed by IPA and diethylene glycol. IPA was the solvent of choice due to its environmentally friendly nature and ease of use for further processing. For the first time, a hybrid of graphene and manganese oxide nanosheets was synthesized using a single-step co-exfoliation process. The two-dimensional (2D) hybrid was synthesized in IPA suspensions with concentrations of up to 0.5 mg ml −1 and demonstrated stability against re-aggregation for up to six months. The co-exfoliation was found to be a energetically favorable process in which both solutes, graphene and manganese oxide nanosheets, exfoliate with an improved yield as compared to the single-solute exfoliation procedure. This work demonstrates the remarkable versatility of liquid-phase exfoliation with respect to the synthesis of hybrids with tailored properties, and it provides proof-of-concept ground work for further future investigation and exploitation of hybrids made of two or more 2D nanomaterials that have key complementary properties for various technological applications.