Studies on Graphene Suspension and Self-assembled Graphene-based Membranes

Two kinds of surfactants, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and polyvinyl alcohol(PVA), were used to improve the dispersion of graphene in water It was found that SDS can avoid the reunion between graphene layers, which makes the graphene evenly dispersed in the aqueous solution. Graphene (G) and Graphene flake films(GF) on the surface of ITO electrode were prepared via spin-coating with graphene dispersions. Scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and atomic force microscopy(AFM) results showed that the two types of graphene films represent a yarn shape of transparent flake structure. G/Ru and GF/Ru composite membranes were also prepared by molecular film self-assembly of the graphene films and Ru complex, which were characterized by cyclic voltammetry(CV) and ultraviolet-visible(UV-Vis) spectrometry. The results showed that the prepared composite films own high activity for the absorption of sunlight, indicating excellent photoelectric properties.