Facile synthesis of fluorinated graphene for surface self-assembly of aluminum hydride

Abstract

A facile method, refluxing with hydrothermal process, was used to synthesize the fluorinated graphene sheets (FGS) with high F/C ratio. Then, the surface of aluminum hydride (AlH3) was coated with FGS by means of liquid self-assembly process. The structure and performance of FGS were characterized through fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and elemental analyzer. FTIR spectra show that the FGS have obvious absorption peak of CF bond. Raman spectra display many defects on FGS. XPS spectra and elemental analysis also prove the existence of CF bond, and the content of fluorine is more than 25%. From SEM photos we can see that FGS have thin layers with some curled wrinkles. TEM photos demonstrate intuitively the FGS has a few layers. At last, the aluminum hydride (AlH3) was coated with FGS by means of liquid self-assembly process, and AlH3 samples before and after treated were characterized through hydrogen content (H%) analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), FTIR, SEM and differential thermal analysis (DTA), ect. The results demonstrate that there is only a little FGS on the surface of AlH3, which won't affect the effective H% and release efficiency of hydrogen. AlH3@FGS also reduces the mechanical sensitivity of solid propellant with AlH3, which will remarkably promote the application of AlH3 in the novel high-energy solid propellant.