Optimal conditions to exfoliate graphite into graphene in DGEBD monomer using an ultrasonic bath and tip

L. SILVA; J.P TOMBA; CARMEN RICCARDI

Mar del Plata

Congreso; SLAP 2018. XVI Simposio Latinoamericano de Polímeros 2018; 2018

In the last decade, the use of ultrasound as a method to produce graphene has shown remarkable interest due to its simplicity and low cost. The process is simple and effective since the ultrasonic waves produce a cavitation process that eventually leads to the exfoliation of the graphite immersed in an appropriate liquid1. There are two types of commonly used sonication sources: tip sonication (TS) and bath sonication (BS). Depending on the use of one of them, the ultrasound wave, directly and indirectly, will interact with the graphite2. In this work, the monomer DGEBD has been used as a means for the development of cavitation. Although preliminary tests have allowed us to conclude that this monomer is a good solvent, it is necessary to vary parameters to optimize its use3. Therefore, to understand the relationship between the cavitation activity present in BS and TS and the initial graphite size to exfoliate graphene in DGEBD, in this work we evaluate different crystal sizes and characteristic lengths of the particles to conclude which is the appropriate ultrasound generator.