Electrochemical exfoliation of graphite in nanofibrillated kenaf cellulose (NFC)/surfactant mixture for the development of conductive paper

Tretya Ardyani; Azmi Mohamed; Suriani Abu Bakar; Masanobu Sagisaka; Yasushi Umetsu; Mohamad Hafiz Mamat; Mohd Khairul Ahmad; H P S Abdul Khalil; Stephen M King; Sarah E Rogers; Julian Eastoe

doi:10.1016/j.carbpol.2019.115376

Electrochemical exfoliation of graphite in nanofibrillated kenaf cellulose (NFC)/surfactant mixture for the development of conductive paper

Carbohydr Polym. 2020 Jan 15:228:115376. doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2019.115376. Epub 2019 Sep 24.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Mathematics, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, 35900, Tanjong Malim, Perak, Malaysia.
² Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Mathematics, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, 35900, Tanjong Malim, Perak, Malaysia; Nanotechnology Research Centre, Faculty of Science and Mathematics, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, 35900, Tanjong Malim, Perak, Malaysia. Electronic address: azmi.mohamed@fsmt.upsi.edu.my.
³ Nanotechnology Research Centre, Faculty of Science and Mathematics, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, 35900, Tanjong Malim, Perak, Malaysia.
⁴ Department of Frontier Materials Chemistry, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Hirosaki University, Bunkyo-cho 3, Hirosaki, Aomori, 036-8561, Japan.
⁵ NANO-ElecTronic Centre (NET), Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universitas Teknologi MARA, 40450, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia.
⁶ Microelectronic and Nanotechnology - Shamsuddin Research Centre (MiNT-SRC), Faculty of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, 86400, Parit Raja, Batu Pahat, Johor, Malaysia.
⁷ School of Industrial Technology, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11700, Gelugor, Penang, Malaysia.
⁸ ISIS Pulsed Neutron & Muon Source, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Campus, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 0QT, United Kingdom.
⁹ School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol, BS8 1TS, United Kingdom.

PMID: 31635739
DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2019.115376

Abstract

The effect of incorporating common dodecyl anionic and cationic surfactants such as dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB), dodecylethyldimethylammonium bromide (DDAB), and sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) in nanocomposites of reduced graphene oxide and nanocellulose are described. The stabilization and electrical properties of the nanocomoposites of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) and nanofibrillated kenaf cellulose (NFC) were characterized using four-point probe electrical conductivity measurements. Raman spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy were used to investigate dispersion morphology and the quality of RGO inside the NFC matrices. Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) was used to study the aggregation behavior of the aqueous surfactant systems and RGO dispersions. The cationic surfactant DTAB proved to be the best choice for stabilization of RGO in NFC, giving enhanced electrical conductivity five orders of magnitude higher than the neat NFC. The results highlight the effects of hydrophilic surfactant moieties on the structure, stability and properties of RGO/NFC composites.

Keywords: Conductive paper; Electrochemical exfoliation; Ionic surfactant; Nanocellulose; Reduced graphene oxide.