Abstract

The fabrication of flexible multilayer graphene oxide (GO)membrane and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) using a rare form of high-puritynatural graphite, vein graphite, is reported for the first time. Graphite oxideis synthesized using vein graphite following Hummer's method. Byfacilitating functionalized graphene sheets in graphite oxide to selfassemble,a multilayer GO membrane is fabricated. Electric arc discharge isused to synthesis CNTs from vein graphite. Both multilayer GOmembrane and CNTs are investigated using microscopy and spectroscopyexperiments, i.e., scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic forcemicroscopy (AFM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy(HRTEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-raydiffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), core level photoelectronspectroscopy, and C K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy(NEXAFS), to characterize their structural and topographical properties. Characterization of vein graphite using differenttechniques reveals that it has a large number of crystallites, hence the large number of graphene sheets per crystallite,preferentially oriented along the (002) plane. NEXAFS and core level spectra confirm that vein graphite is highly crystalline andpure. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and C 1s core level spectra show that oxygen functionalities (-C-OH, -C?O,-C-O-C-) are introduced into the basal plane of graphite following chemical oxidation. Carbon nanotubes are produced from veingraphite through arc discharge without the use of any catalyst. HRTEM confirm that multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWNTs)are produced with the presence of some structure in the central pipe. A small percentage of single-walled nanotubes (SWNTs)are also produced simultaneously with MWNTs. Spectroscopic and microscopic data are further discussed here with a view tousing vein graphite as the source material for the synthesis of carbon nanomaterials.

Autore Pugliese

• Carlino Elvio

Tutti gli autori

• A. R. Kumarasinghe; L. Samaranayake; F. Bondino; E. Magnano; N. S. Kottegoda; E. Carlino; U. N. Ratnayaka; A. de Alwis; V. Karunaratne and G. A. J. Amaratunga

Titolo volume/Rivista

Journal of physical chemistry. C.

Anno di pubblicazione

2013

ISSN

1932-7455

ISBN

Non Disponibile

Numero di citazioni Wos

Nessuna citazione

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Numero di citazioni Scopus

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Settori ERC

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Codici ASJC

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