One-pot hydrothermal synthesis of graphene/MgAl-LDH composite by urea hydrolysis

Abstract

Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) and graphene are the two most promising building blocks used for the fabrication of hierarchical composites. The graphene/MgAl-LDHs composites were prepared by one-pot hydrothermal reaction of Al(NO3)3·9H2O, Mg(NO3)2·6H2O and graphene oxide (GO) in the presence of urea. The as-obtained composites were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. The results showed that urea could effectively reduce GO and simultaneously induce the nucleation and in situ growth of LDH crystallites on the nanosheets of graphene. The nanoplatelets of MgAl-LDHs were distributed on the surface of graphene nanosheets, and exfoliation of both LDHs and graphene layers in the composites was achieved. The method used in this study could provide an easy route to prepare other graphene/LDHs composites, and these LDH-based composites can be used in the fields of new energy nanomaterials and polymer nanocomposites.