Relating to graphene nanomaterials
A process for preparing a graphene nanomaterial product, the process comprising: cavitating a liquid medium comprising a diaromatic hydrocarbon component to synthesise from the diaromatic hydrocarbon component a dispersion of graphene nanomaterial in the liquid medium; and obtaining a graphene nanomaterial product from the dispersion.
1. A process for preparing a functionalised graphene nanomaterial product, the process comprising:
cavitating a liquid medium comprising a diaromatic component and a functionalising component to synthesise functionalised graphene nanomaterial from the diaromatic component and the functionalising component and form a dispersion of the functionalised graphene nanomaterial in the liquid medium; and
obtaining a functionalised graphene nanomaterial product from the dispersion, wherein the functionalising component includes molecules comprising an amine group, molecules comprising a hydroxyl or peroxide group, molecules comprising a carboxylic acid group, or a combination thereof.
2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the nanomaterial product comprises graphene quantum dots, graphene nanoflakes, graphene nanoribbons, graphene nanosheets, or combinations thereof.
3. The process of claim 1 , comprising cavitating the liquid medium in the presence of oxygen or another heteroatom impurity and wherein the nanomaterial product comprises one or more heteroatom impurities.
4. The process of claim 1 , wherein the diaromatic component comprises optionally substituted fused or linked diaromatic hydrocarbons or heterocycles.
5. The process of claim 1 , wherein the diaromatic component is a diaromatic hydrocarbon component consisting of one or more optionally substituted diaromatic hydrocarbons.
6. The process of claim 1 , wherein the diaromatic component comprises one or more compounds of Formula A or Formula B, or heterocyclic variants thereof, optionally substituted with one or more moieties at one or more of the numbered positions:
7. The process of claim 6 , wherein the one or more moieties are selected from alkyl, alkenyl or alkynyl substituents, and halides.
8. The process of claim 6 , wherein the one or more moieties are selected from methyl, ethyl, and halides.
9. The process of claim 1 , wherein the diaromatic component comprises methylnaphthalene or ethylnaphthalene, and optionally naphthalene.
10. The process of claim 1 , wherein the liquid medium comprises a stabilising component for stabilising the dispersion of graphene nanomaterial to be formed.
11. The process of claim 10 , wherein the stabilising component comprises a solvent which on addition to the liquid medium, is capable of reducing the distance in Hansen space between the predicted Hansen Solubility Parameters of the liquid medium (HSPs: δ Ds , δ Ps and δ Hs ) and of graphene, graphene oxide, reduced graphene oxide, or functionalised graphene (HSPs: δ Dg , δ Pg and δ Hg ), such that it reduces R, where R 2 =(δ Dg −δ Ds ) 2 +(δ Pg −δ Ps ) 2 +(δ Hg −δ Hs ) 2 .
12. The process of claim 10 , wherein the stabilising component comprises N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP).
13. The process of claim 10 , wherein the liquid medium consists of the diaromatic component, the functionalising component and a balancing amount of stabilising component.
14. The process of claim 1 , wherein the functionalising component is selected to enhance dispersion stability of the graphene nanomaterial.
15. The process of claim 1 , wherein the functionalising component comprises one or more compounds capable of taking part in a nucleophilic substitution, electrophilic substitution, condensation reaction or addition reaction.
16. The process of claim 1 , wherein the functionalising component comprises aromatic molecules, optionally substituted with one or more of an amine group, hydroxyl group, peroxide group, and carboxylic acid group.
17. The process of claim 1 , wherein the liquid medium comprises an emulsion of the functionalising component in the diaromatic component, the emulsion optionally being kinetically stable or thermodynamically stable.
18. The process of claim 1 wherein cavitation of the liquid is effected by subjecting the liquid medium to ultrasound.
19. A process for preparing a functionalised graphene nanomaterial product, the process comprising:
cavitating a liquid medium comprising a diaromatic component and a functionalising component to synthesise functionalised graphene nanomaterial from the diaromatic component and the functionalising component and form a dispersion of the functionalised graphene nanomaterial in the liquid medium; and
obtaining a functionalised graphene nanomaterial product from the dispersion, wherein the functionalising component is one or more compounds capable of taking part in a nucleophilic substitution, electrophilic substitution, condensation reaction or addition reaction and is present in an amount in the range of from 0.01 to 10% v/v based on the total volume of the liquid medium, and wherein the diaromatic component comprises methylnaphthalene or ethylnaphthalene, and optionally naphthalene.