Synthesis of o-phenylenediamine functionalized graphite

ABSTRACT

Here is reported the synthesis of o-phenylenediamine functionalized graphite (OPDFG) using the phosphorus trichloride surface modified graphite (PCl₃-SMG) and the o-phenylenediamine (OPD). PCl₃-SMG was obtained via chlorophosphorylation of graphite for the study. PCl₃-SMG and OPDFG were analyzed using ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). UV-Vis analysis shows that OPDFG have higher absorbance than graphite and PCl₃-SMG. According to FTIR analysis, PCl₃-SMG has –PCl₂ functional groups, which shows that PCl₃ reacts with sp² C-H groups on graphite's edge planes during the formation of PCl₃-SMG. Synthesis of OPDFG can be explained by a replacement reaction of amine groups of OPD with –PCl₂ groups. XRD data show that after modification of graphite with PCl₃ and after amine treatment of PCl₃-SMG, crystallite sizes of PCl₃-SMG and OPDFG decrease. SEM analysis shows that both PCl₃-SMG and OPDFG have layered structures similar to graphite.

KEYWORDS:

• Graphite
• Surface modification
• Amine functionalized graphite

Acknowledgments

This work is supported by the High-Molecular Compounds Chemistry Department of the Faculty of Chemistry of the Baku State University, Azerbaijan. The authors thank the Baku State University's High-Molecular Compounds Chemistry Department for laboratory equipment and facilities, and the Baku State University's Nano Research Center for providing help in analysis of samples. The authors also thank Emin Aliyev, MA, for providing language help.