Colloidal properties and stability of aqueous suspensions of few-layer graphene: Importance of graphene concentration.

ABSTRACT: Understanding the colloidal stability of graphene is essential for predicting its transport and ecological risks in aquatic environments. We investigated the agglomeration of ¹⁴C-labeled few-layer graphene (FLG) at concentrations spanning nearly four orders of magnitude (2 μg/L to 10 mg/L) using dynamic light scattering and sedimentation measurements. FLG agglomerates formed rapidly in deionized water at concentrations >3 mg/L. From 1 mg/L to 3 mg/L, salt-induced agglomeration was decreased with dilution of FLG suspensions; the critical coagulation concentration of the more concentrated suspension (3 mg/L) was significantly lower than the dilute suspension (1 mg/L) in the presence of NaCl (1.6 mmol/L and 10 mmol/L, respectively). In contrast, FLG underwent slow agglomeration and

SUBMITTER: Su Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5517043 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature