Functionalization of nanoparticles often control the extent of their usage. With this in mind, I have explored methods of creating highly functionalized exfoliated graphite, by way of the Billups-Birch reduction, that can be used in the advancement of nanotechnology (i.e. biomedicine). The method explored the use of sodium as the source for the solvated electron. The results of this method produced exfoliated graphite the same size as graphene and with solubility similar to the substrates attached to it. It was further shown that functionalized graphite with a terminal carboxyl group allowed further synthesis to occur via an elimination-addition reaction after the acyl group was transformed into an acid chloride. This reaction makes it possible to create exfoliated graphite that contains any compound of interest as long as it has an oxygen or nitrogen group that is able to react with the acid chloride. Thus, these products have the potential to be used in biomedicine as drug delivery agents.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:RICE/oai:scholarship.rice.edu:1911/71926 |
| Date | 16 September 2013 |
| Creators | Bryant, Erika |
| Contributors | Billups, W E. |
| Source Sets | Rice University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | thesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
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