The effect of the degree of sulphenylation on the stability of reduced graphene oxide nanofluids

Abstract

Dispersion stability of nanoparticles in nanofluids is a prerequisite for allowing the nanofluids to act as convection heat transfer working fluids. This research prepared multiple types of sulfophenylated graphene (PSG) nanoparticles. Two samples subjected to different degrees of sulfophenylation were chosen to formulate different nanofluids with varying sulfophenylated particle concentrations. The nanofluids’ measured Zeta potential, electric conductivity, and thermal conductivity coefficients were used to investigate the stability. The research indicates the increase in the degree of sulfophenylation can improve the stability of nanofluids while exerting little influence on thermal conductivity; on the premise of ensuring stability, the number of nanoparticles added in base fluids can increase thermal conductivity. After that, high-sulfophenylated particle concentration nanofluids (2 mg/mL) were formulated using sulfonated-reduced graphene oxide (s-rGO) nanoparticles prepared to demonstrate excellent stability, and their thermal conductivity reached 0.773 W/m. K (55 °C).