Noncovalent functionalization of 2D nanostructures with organic molecules and carbon nanoparticles: a ternary system for energy application

• Grant number: 16/22918-8
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): April 01, 2017
• Effective date (End): March 31, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics
• Cooperation agreement: Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES)
• Principal Investigator: Eunezio Antonio de Souza
• Grantee: Gustavo Gimenez Parra
• Home Institution: Centro de Pesquisas Avançadas em Grafeno, Nanomateriais e Nanotecnologia (MackGrafe). Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie (UPM). Instituto Presbiteriano Mackenzie. São Paulo, SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 12/50259-8 - Graphene: photonics and opto-electronics: UPM-NUS collaboration, AP.SPEC

Abstract

One way of modulating, modifying, or enhancing the physico-chemical, spectroscopic and technological properties of these 2D nanostructures such as graphene and MoS2 is to non-covalently functionalize them with organic molecules (MOs) and/or nanoparticles (NPs), preserving many of the original properties of these nanomaterials. It is interesting to note that the combination of MOs and NPs originating a ternary nanostructure (nanostructure-2D&MOs&NPs) as we are proposing here has not been studied. Therefore, we have chosen 3,6-Diaminoacridine, acridine yellow and acridine orange, porphyrin 5,10,15,20-Tetra(4-pyridyl) and phthalocyanine 29H,31H-phthalocyanine as the MOs for this project. Those MOs have extended p chain, high thermal stability, high molar absorption in the UV-Vis-IV region, donor/acceptor character of electrons, and have N atoms in their structures. Carbon-Dots (CDs) were chosen as NPs because they are ecologically friendly, have excellent conductivity (electron transport and ion mobility) and high surface area (contact area between the electrode and the electrolytes), and the presence of functional groups increases the capacitance of electrodes doped with CDs (pseudocapacitive effect). In the future, it can be extrapolated and applied for functionalization with van der Waals heterostructures with inherited multi-functionalities of each 2D nanomaterial that constitute it creating new materials with new properties not found individually. (AU)