Surface treatment and modification of graphene using organosilane and its thermal stability

In this study, graphene was functionalized via acid oxidation in the presence of a mixture of concentrated sulfuric acid and nitric acid. The oxidized graphene was silanized using the coupling agent, 3-aminopropyltriethoxsilane, resulting in functionalized graphene. The oxidized graphene and functionalized graphene were characterized by X-Ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, High-resolution micro Raman spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and atomic force microscopy to confirm the presence of functional moieties on the graphene surface. Thermal studies also demonstrate that the functionalized material is thermally stable up to higher temperatures.