PNNL

Abstract

Here we report that poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) acts as both a reducing agent and a stabilizer to prepare soluble graphene nanosheets from graphite oxide. The results of transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoeletron spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and fourier transform infrared indicated that graphite oxide was successfully reduced to graphene nanosheets which exhibited single-layer structure and high dispersion in various solvents. The reaction mechanism for PDDA-induced reduction of exfoliated graphite oxide was proposed. Furthermore, PDDA facilitated the in-situ growth of highly-dispersed Pt nanoparticles on the surface of graphene nanosheets to form Pt/graphene nanocomposites, which exhibited excellent catalytic activity towards formic acid oxidation. This work presents a facile and environmentally friendly approach to the synthesis of graphene nanosheets, opens up new possibility for preparing graphene and graphene-based nanomaterials for large-scale applications.