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Cucurbit[8]uril-derived graphene hydrogels

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

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Authors

Rana, Vijay K 
Tabet, Anthony 
Vigil, Julian A 
Balzer, Christopher J 

Abstract

The scalable production of uniformly distributed graphene (GR)-based composite materials remains a sizable challenge. While GR-polymer nanocomposites can be manufactured at large scale, processing limitations result in poor control over the homogeneity of hydrophobic GR sheets in the matrices. Such processes often result in difficulties controlling stability and avoiding aggregation, therefore eliminating benefits that might have otherwise arisen from the nanoscopic dimensions of GR. Here, we report an exfoliated and stabilized GR dispersion in water. Cucurbit[8]uril (CB[8])-mediated host guest chemistry was used to obtain supramolecular hydrogels consisting of uniformly distributed GR and guest-functionalized macromolecules. The obtained GR-hydrogels show superior bioelectrical properties over identical systems produced without CB[8]. Utilizing such supramolecular interactions with biologically-derived macromolecules is a promising approach to stabilize graphene in water and avoid oxidative chemistry.

Description

Keywords

3403 Macromolecular and Materials Chemistry, 3405 Organic Chemistry, 34 Chemical Sciences

Journal Title

ACS Macro Letters

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

2161-1653
2161-1653

Volume Title

Publisher

American Chemical Society

Rights

All rights reserved
Sponsorship
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/L027151/1)
European Commission Horizon 2020 (H2020) Marie Sklodowska-Curie actions (797106)
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/P030467/1)
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (1800758)
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/N509620/1)
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/G060649/1)
Marie Sklodowska-Curie individual research grant (H2020-MSCAIF- 2017, P.ID: 797106) The Winston Churchill Foundation of the United States EPSRC Doctoral Training Grant EP/N509620/1 EPSRC Programme Grant NOtCH (EP/L027151/1)