Synthesis and Aromatic Diamine Intercalation of Graphene Oxide to Tailor the Electrochemical Properties

Graphene Oxide has been synthesized using Hummer’s method by the oxidation of graphite powder using reagents like potassium permanganate, Sulphuric acid, hydrogen peroxide, and distilled water at low temperatures. The filtered suspension of graphene oxide was changed to a dry powder at room temperature. Synthesized Graphene oxide was further modified by functionalizing using diamine 2,6-bis(4-aminophenoxy)benzonitrile (BAAP) by ultrasonication and reflux methodology, air-cooled mixture was washed with the equimolar ratio of ethanol and water which was dried at room temperature and followed by drying in the oven at 80 oC. The sample was characterized by Fourier Transform InfraRed (FT-IR) spectroscopy which confirmed all required functional groups and proved the functionalization and modification of Graphene Oxide. Further, UV-Visible spectroscopy confirmed the slight reduction of graphene oxide by the redshift which is due to the chromophoric effect of diamine. X-ray diffraction also confirmed the expected d-spacing due to the covalent reduction of graphene oxide by shifting the peak position towards higher 2θ values. The cyclic voltammetry results are in a quasi-rectangular shape, due to the pseudocapacitance behaviour of diamine functionalized graphene oxide; successfully synthesised and functionalized graphene oxide showed electrochemical stability and an increase in capacitance with an increase in scan rates which is the promising property for supercapacitance to ensure energy storage and conservation.