Performance of graphene dispersion by using mixed surfactants

Abstract

In this work the ability of pure surfactant Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate (SDS), Cetyltrimethyl Ammonium Bromide (CTAB) and their mixed surfactants for graphene dispersion in aqueous solution was investigated. The uniform and stable dispersion solution was obtained for graphene with the mixtures of SDS and CTAB at lower concentration as compared to the pure one. The SDS-based surfactants exhibited better dispersion as compared to CTAB-based surfactants due to smaller-sized graphene as was investigated via Zeta potential measurements. Zeta potential was utilized to characterize the colloidal stability of surface charges within the mixtures. The mixed surfactants utilized in the present study showed a better ability to disperse graphene and its derivatives and hence are well suited for practical applications.