Simultaneous reduction and surface functionalization of graphene oxide by mussel-inspired chemistry

Abstract

This study presents a method of simultaneous reduction and surface functionalization of graphene oxide by a one-step poly(norepinephrine) functionalization. The pH-induced aqueous functionalization of graphene oxide by poly(norepinephrine), a catecholamine polymer inspired by the robust adhesion of marine mussels, chemically reduced and functionalized graphene oxide. Moreover, the polymerized norepinephrine (pNor) layer provided multifunctionality on the reduced graphene oxide that includes surface-initiated polymerization and spontaneous metallic nanoparticle formation. This facile surface modification strategy can be a useful platform for graphene-based nano-composites. Simultaneous reduction and surface functionalization of graphene oxide were achieved via a simple one-step procedure under mild conditions. An aqueous mixture of graphene oxide and a norepinephrine, a molecule inspired by the chemical composition of mussel adhesive proteins, resulted in a robust modification of graphene oxide surfaces. The poly(norepinephrine) modification exhibited simultaneous reduction of graphene oxide and became a platform of surface-initiated polymerization and metallic nanoparticle formation. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.