One-step synthesis of magnetically-functionalized reduced graphite sheets and their use in hydrogels

Graphene/Fe3O4 hybrids were prepared using a one-step solvothermal method in ethylene glycol using graphite oxide as the graphene precursor and FeCl3 6H(2)O as the Fe3O4 precursor The Fe3O4 nanoparticles, with a diameter of 100-200 nm, were densely and randomly deposited on the graphene sheets The electrical conductivity of the hybrid reached 1 011 x 10(2) S m(-1) and the saturation magnetization reached 83 6 emu g(-1) The as-prepared magnetically functionalized graphene hybrid was used for the functionalization of hydrogels for the first time (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved