Chemistry of Reduced Graphene Oxide: Implications for the Electrophysical Properties of Segregated Graphene-Polymer Composites.

Conductive polymer composites (CPCs) with nanocarbon fillers are at the high end of modern materials science, advancing current electronic applications. Herein, we establish the interplay between the chemistry and electrophysical properties of reduced graphene oxide (rGO), separately and as a filler for CPCs with the segregated structure conferred by the chemical composition of the initial graphene oxide (GO). A set of experimental methods, namely X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, van der Paw and temperature-dependent sheet resistance measurements, along with dielectric spectroscopy, are employed to thoroughly examine the derived materials.

Rationalizing Graphene-ZnO Composites for Gas Sensing via Functionalization with Amines.

The rational design of composites based on graphene/metal oxides is one of the pillars for advancing their application in various practical fields, particularly gas sensing. In this study, a uniform distribution of ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) through the graphene layer was achieved, taking advantage of amine functionalization. The beneficial effect of amine groups on the arrangement of ZnO NPs and the efficiency of their immobilization was revealed by core-level spectroscopy, pointing out strong ionic bonding between the aminated graphene (AmG) and ZnO.

The role of nanoparticle charge in crystallization kinetics and ice adhesion strength for dispersions of detonation nanodiamonds.

According to the classical nucleation theory, the presence of solid particles in a liquid should facilitate its heterogeneous nucleation upon supercooling. Here, we have analysed the behaviour of aqueous dispersions of detonation diamond nanoparticles (DND) with different signs of the surface charge in supercooled conditions and the frozen state. The behaviours of the diamond nanoparticles with a typical size of 4.

Manifesting Epoxide and Hydroxyl Groups in XPS Spectra and Valence Band of Graphene Derivatives.

The derivatization of graphene to engineer its band structure is a subject of significant attention nowadays, extending the frames of graphene material applications in the fields of catalysis, sensing, and energy harvesting. Yet, the accurate identification of a certain group and its effect on graphene's electronic structure is an intricate question. Herein, we propose the advanced fingerprinting of the epoxide and hydroxyl groups on the graphene layers via core-level methods and reveal the modification of their valence band (VB) upon the introduction of these oxygen functionalities.

New Generation of Compositional Aquivion-Type Membranes with Nanodiamonds for Hydrogen Fuel Cells: Design and Performance.

Compositional proton-conducting membranes based on perfluorinated Aquivion-type copolymers modified by detonation nanodiamonds (DND) with positively charged surfaces were prepared to improve the performance of hydrogen fuel cells. Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) experiments demonstrated the fine structure in such membranes filled with DND (0-5 wt.%), where the conducting channels typical for Aquivion membranes are mostly preserved while DND particles (4-5 nm in size) decorated the polymer domains on a submicron scale, according to scanning electron microscopy (SEM) data.