Use this URL to cite or link to this record in EThOS: | https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.674697 |
![]() |
|||||||
Title: | Dispersion, assembly and electrochemistry of graphene at the liquid-liquid interface | ||||||
Author: | Rodgers, Andrew Norman John |
ISNI:
0000 0004 5369 9193
|
|||||
Awarding Body: | University of Manchester | ||||||
Current Institution: | University of Manchester | ||||||
Date of Award: | 2015 | ||||||
Availability of Full Text: |
|
||||||
Abstract: | |||||||
The dispersion of graphene in 1,2-dichloroethane (DCE), its subsequent attachment at the water-DCE interface and the reduction of oxygen at the water-DCE interface proceeding via interfacial graphene have been investigated. Using addition of an electrolyte which screens surface charge, it was found that electrostatic repulsions play a significant role in determining the kinetic stability of lyophobic non-aqueous graphene dispersions. The onset of aggregation was determined and it was found that dispersions prepared from higher-oxygen content graphite were more stable than those prepared from lower-oxygen content graphite, indicating that oxygen content is important in determining the surface charge on graphene in non-aqueous dispersion. The presence of organic electrolyte was also found to promote assembly of graphene into a coherent film at the liquid-liquid interface. Measurement of the liquid-liquid interfacial tension and three-phase contact angle revealed that the energetics of particle attachment did not change in the presence of organic electrolyte, thus indicating a mechanism of inter-particle electrostatic repulsion minimisation through surface charge screening. Interfacial graphene was found to display a catalytic effect toward the oxygen reduction reaction at the water-DCE interface. A bipolar cell was developed which showed that this reaction occurs heterogeneously, with graphene acting as a conduit for electrons across the water-DCE interface.
|
|||||||
Supervisor: | Dryfe, Robert | Sponsor: | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council | ||||
Qualification Name: | Thesis (Ph.D.) | Qualification Level: | Doctoral | ||||
EThOS ID: | uk.bl.ethos.674697 | DOI: | Not available | ||||
Keywords: | Graphene ; Electrochemistry ; ITIES ; Colloids ; DLVO ; Liquid|Liquid ; Electrostatics | ||||||
Share: |