PRODUCTION OF GRAPHENE BASED COMPOSITE NANOSTRUCTURES OBTAINED THROUGH THE GROWTH OF ZINC-OXIDE NANORODS OR MICRORODS ON UNSUPPORTED GRAPHENE NANOPLATELETS IN SUSPENSION

摘要

An innovative process enables control of the morphology of ZnO nanostructures and of the coating density of graphene flakes for the production of graphene nanoplatelets decorated with nanorods or microrods of zinc oxide (possibly doped with metals) having enhanced electrical, electronic, and mechanical properties. The process takes place in aqueous or hydroalcoholic suspension and leads to the production of nanomaterials that can be used as fillers in polymer matrices to obtain nanocomposites having specific electrical, electromagnetic, and electromechanical properties. The appropriate definition of the process conditions, and in the case in point deposition of a seed layer on the surface of the GNPs and use of growth techniques with continuous mixing of the suspension, enable control of the morphology of the nanostructures and make it possible to obtain a high and uniform coating density of the surface of the GNPs.