Effects of Solvent Molecules on the Interlayer Spacing of Graphene Oxide

Abstract

Graphene oxide (GO) contains numerous functional groups that facilitate the intercalation of polar solvents. The properties and applications of GO are closely related to its interlayer spacing. We report on the changes in the interlayer spacing of GO after the adsorption of water molecules and the polar organic solvents C2H6O2 (EG), C3H7NO (DMF), C5H9NO (NMP). Experiments were conducted to investigate the variations in the functional groups and structure of GO after solvent adsorption, and they play a vital role in modeling and verifying the results of molecular dynamics simulation. The most stable GO structures are obtained through molecular dynamics simulation. The expansion of the interlayer spacing of GO after the adsorption of monolayer solvent molecules corresponds to the minimum three-dimensional size of the solvent molecules. The spatial arrangement of solvent molecules also contributes to the changes in interlayer spacing. Most adsorbed molecules are oriented parallel to the carbon plane of GO. However, as additional molecules are adsorbed into the interlaminations of GO, the adsorbed molecules are oriented perpendicular to the carbon plane of GO, and a large space forms between two GO interlayers. In addition, the role of large molecules in increasing interlayer spacing becomes more crucial than that of water molecules in the adsorption of binary solvent systems by GO.