Magister Scientiae - MSc (Chemistry) / In this study, graphene oxide was synthesized by oxidizing graphite using the modified Hummer's method. The graphene oxide was characterized by Raman Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy and X-Ray Diffraction for structural and morphological properties. The graphene oxide was electrochemically reduced on a carbon paste electrode followed by the in situ deposition of mercury thin films to achieve electrochemically reduced graphene oxide modified carbon paste metal film electrodes (ERGO-CP-MEs). The experimental parameters (amplitude, deposition time, deposition potential, frequency and rotation speed) were optimized, and the applicability of the modified electrode was investigated towards the simultaneous and individual determination of TI1+ and In3+ at the low concentration levels (?g L-1) in 0.1 M acetate buffer (pH 4.6) using square wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV). The detection limit values for individual analysis at electrochemically reduced graphene oxide modified carbon paste mercury film electrode (ERGO-CP-HgE ) was 2.4 and 1.1 ?g L-1 for TI1+ and In3+, respectively. The detection limit values for simultaneous analysis at ERGO-CPE was 1.32 and 1.33 ?g L-1 and individual analysis was 0.975 and 1.04 ?g L-1 for TI1+ and In3+, respectively.

This study reports the synthesis of graphene by oxidizing graphite to graphite oxide using H2SO4 and KMnO4 and reducing graphene oxide to graphene by using NaBH4. Graphene was then characterized using FT-IR, TEM, AFM, XRD, Raman spectroscopy and solid state NMR. Nafion-Graphene in combination with a mercury film electrode, bismuth film electrode and antimony film electrode was used as a sensing platform for trace metal analysis in 0.1 M acetate buffer (pH 4.6) at 120 s deposition time, using square-wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV). Detection limits were calculated using 3σblank/slope. For practical applications recovery studies was done by spiking test samples with known concentrations of metal ions and comparing the results to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS). This was then followed by real sample analyses.

This study reports the synthesis of graphene by oxidizing graphite to graphite oxide using H2SO4 and KMnO4 and reducing graphene oxide to graphene by using NaBH4. Graphene was then characterized using FT-IR, TEM, AFM, XRD, Raman spectroscopy and solid state NMR. Nafion-Graphene in combination with a mercury film electrode, bismuth film electrode and antimony film electrode was used as a sensing platform for trace metal analysis in 0.1 M acetate buffer (pH 4.6) at 120 s deposition time, using square-wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV). Detection limits were calculated using 3σblank/slope. For practical applications recovery studies was done by spiking test samples with known concentrations of metal ions and comparing the results to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS). This was then followed by real sample analyses.

Magister Scientiae - MSc (Dept. of Chemistry) / This study reports the synthesis of graphene by oxidizing graphite to graphite oxide using H2SO4 and KMnO4 and reducing graphene oxide to graphene by using NaBH4. Graphene was then characterized using FT-IR, TEM, AFM, XRD, Raman spectroscopy and solid state NMR. Nafion-Graphene in combination with a mercury film electrode, bismuth film electrode and antimony film electrode was used as a sensing platform for trace metal analysis in 0.1 M acetate buffer (pH 4.6) at 120 s deposition time, using square-wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV). Detection limits were calculated using 3σblank/slope. For practical applications recovery studies was done by spiking test samples with known concentrations of metal ions and comparing the results to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS). This was then followed by real sample analyses. / South Africa

Magister Scientiae - MSc / In this study multilayer graphene nanosheets was synthesize by oxidizing graphite to graphene oxide using H2SO4 and KMnO4 followed by reduction of graphene oxide to graphene using NaBH4. The graphene nanosheets were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). HRTEM images showed that the multilayer graphene were obtained. The graphene was immobilized directly onto a glassy carbon electrode using the drop coating technique followed by the in situ deposition of mercury, bismuth or antimony thin films to afford graphene modified glassy carbon metal film electrodes (Gr-GC-MEs). The experimental parameters (deposition potential, deposition time, rotation speed, frequency and amplitude) were optimized, and the applicability of the modified electrode was investigated towards the individual and simultaneous determination of Zn2+, Cd2+ and Pb2+ at the low concentration levels (μg L-1) in 0.1 M acetate buffer (pH 4.6) using square wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV). The detection limits values for the Gr-GC-HgE was 0.08, 0.05 and 0.14 μg L-1 for Zn2+, Cd2+ and Pb2+, respectively. The Gr-GC-BiE the detection limits for was 0.12, 0.22 and 0.28 μg L-1 for Zn2+, Cd2+ and Pb2+ while the detection limits for the Gr-GC-SbE was 0.1, 0.3 and 0.3 μg L-1 for Zn2+, Cd2+ and Pb2+, respectively. A Gr-GCE prepared without any binding agents or metal film had detection limits for Zn2+, Cd2+ and Pb2+ of 3.9, 0.8 and 0.2 μg L-1 for Zn2+, Cd2+ and Pb2+. Real sample analysis of which was laboratory tap water was performed using the Gr-GCMEs. Only Gr-GC-HgE was sensitive enough to detect metal ions in the tap water samples at the 3ppb level whereas, the GC-BiE and GC-SbE detected the metal ions at the 10 μg L-1 to 30 μg L-1 level.