Interactions of nanostructures on graphene oxide

Abstract

In the early history of graphene, graphene oxide represented only an intermediate step in the methodology for obtaining graphene sheets. However, subsequent results of the investigation of this material showed that graphene oxide exhibits a structure with defects and functional groups that give it unique properties. Given the versatility of its surface, different functionalization routes have been proposed that have resulted in obtaining a wide variety of hybrid materials. In this work, we present the obtaining and characterization of three functionalized materials based on graphene oxide sheets decorated with nanoparticles of silver, titanium dioxide, and hydroxyapatite. These nanostructures were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. In particular, the improvement in the thermal properties of oxidized graphene-silver nanoparticles was studied through thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), the improvement of Raman signals through the chemical mechanism of SERS in the material decorated with titanium dioxide, and an MTT cell viability assay, in which it was observed that the oxidized graphene decorated with hydroxyapatite obtained using urea did not present cytotoxicity.