Fabrication of the amphiphilic hyperbranched poly(ether amine)@graphene (hPEA-AN@G) hybrid assemblies by ball milling

Organic-inorganic hybrid assembly is a very attractive means for constructing complex functional materials. Here, a simple method for the preparation of amphiphilic hybrid graphene nanosheets (hPEA-AN@G) is developed via the in situ hybrid assembly of anthracene-ended hyperbranched poly(ether amine) (hPEA-AN) and graphene by ball milling graphite in aqueous solution with hPEA-AN. The amphiphilic hPEA-AN, consisting of hydrophilic hPEA chains and electron-rich pi-conjugated aromatic AN capped on the periphery, not only interacts strongly with graphene nanosheets and water molecules but also endows the hybrid hPEA-AN@G assemblies with hydrophilic surfaces and functional groups. The concentration of the resulting few-layered hPEA-AN@G is as high as 3.5 mg mL(-1). Moreover, the total interaction energy (V-T) of hPEA-AN@G is V-T,V-max = 4.2 meV nm(-2) calculated according to the classical Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek theory, as high as 16 800 eV for a 2 mu m x 2 mu m graphene flake, suggesting a high stability of the hPEA-AN@G assemblies. The as-prepared hPEA-AN@G can be redispersed well in several organic solvents including N,N-dimethylformamide, 1,4-dioxane, acetone and ethanol for more than 3 months. The superior performance and convenient fabrication make this method very promising for the production of graphene nanosheets on a large scale in both aqueous and organic solution. (C) 2021 Society of Industrial Chemistry.

Automated summary

The study developed a simple method for preparing amphiphilic hybrid graphene nanosheets in aqueous solution via ball milling, providing a stable and well-dispersed product in organic solvents. This approach holds promise for large-scale production of graphene nanosheets with superior performance.