(IITEMA-UNRC-CONICET)
Topic: Chemistry of the graphene oxide. Structural design according to the application.
Graphene oxide (GO) is a chemically modified graphene with oxygenated functional groups, which create defects in the two-dimensional network of sp2 carbons. The carbon to oxygen ratio (C/O) begin from three to one or even higher; the higher the C/O, greater the reduction degree of GO. From a synthetic point of view, the GO presents great challenges to control its chemical structure through synthesis parameters. GO is a non-stoichiometric and metastable material even at room temperature, therefore its chemical structure is highly variable and difficult to characterize. Since the chemical properties of the GO surface depend on the type of functional groups, density and distribution; they can be modified if strategies that allows to control the structure are developed. Although the literature on GO is very extensive, especially in different applications; there are not many works that demonstrate the importance of the structure on the physicochemical properties. In this presentation will show examples where these variations can be observed, either in catalysis or in energy storage devices. In addition, also will be shown some strategies with the objective to standardize the GO synthesis and subsequently achieve quasi-controlled modifications.
Summary Background
Gustavo Marcelo Morales is Associate Professor of Chemistry at the National University of Rio Cuarto (UNRC) and Independent Researcher of the National Research Council of Argentina (CONICET). Gustavo obtained his B.S. in Chemistry in 1997 and then joined to Prof. Cesar Barbero’s group were he received his Ph.D. in Chemical Sciences at the UNRC in 2002. He completed his education as Postdoctoral Research Associate under the supervision of Prof. Luping Yu at the Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago (2002-2005). His current research interests focus on the study of carbon based nanomaterials, two-dimensional materials, and the application of scanning probe microscopy techniques to biology systems.