Obtaining Hybrid Nanostructures Based on Graphene and Nano-ZrO2

• Published in: Inorganic materials : applied research Vol. 14; no. 2; pp. 526 - 535
• Main Authors: Afzal, A. M., Trusova, E. A., Konovalov, A. A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Moscow Pleiades Publishing 01.04.2023; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Chemical bonds; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Crystallites; Electron diffraction; Electron energy loss spectroscopy; Emulsions; Graphene; Industrial Chemistry/Chemical Engineering; Inorganic Chemistry; Materials Science; Medical materials; Morphology; Nanostructure; New Technologies for Obtaining and Processing Materials; Nitrogen; Oxygen; Phase composition; Sol-gel processes; Sonochemical reactions; Synthesis; Thickness; Zirconium dioxide; graphene based hybrid nanostructures; nano-ZrO; sonochemistry; oxygen-free graphene; nanopowdery composites
• ISSN: 2075-1133; 2075-115X
• DOI: 10.1134/S2075113323020028

A technologically promising method for obtaining nanostructured graphene-ZrO 2 has been proposed. Its main idea is to use the suspensions of graphene and nano-ZrO 2 and create conditions for the interaction of graphene sheets and ZrO 2 crystallites to form a hybrid nanostructured powder without the formation of new chemical bonds. The oxygen-free graphene sheets with thickness of several nanometers were obtained by sonochemical method in N,N-dimethyloctylamine-aqua emulsion. Nano-ZrO 2 powder with average crystallite size of 8.1 nm was synthesized by sol-gel method. The morphology and phase composition of all synthesized objects (nano-ZrO 2 , graphene, composite) were studied by using a set of instrumental methods (transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electron diffraction, X-ray diffraction (XRD), electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), nitrogen adsorption-desorption, diffusion aerosol spectrometry (DAS) and elemental analysis). It was shown that the proposed method allows obtain chemically homogeneous mesoporous hybrid powders consisting of graphene sheets and ZrO 2 crystallites with the sizes of 8‒13 nm fixed on them. We investigated an effect of duration of ultrasonic impact to graphite on the morphology of the hybrid and the mechanism of its formation. According to the results of a comprehensive analysis of the obtained data, the mechanisms for the formation of graphene suspension in emulsion and a nanostructured hybrid during the interaction of crystalline ZrO 2 and oxygen-free graphene sheets in an aqua-organic medium were proposed. The developed hybrid nanostructures are highly demanded innovative raw-products in the production of (photo)catalysts for a wide range of processes, sensor, ceramic and electrical materials, and materials for medical and biological purposes.