AN INNOVATIVE TOP DOWN APPROACH TO OBTAIN FUNCTIONALIZED GRAPHENE LAYERS

Oxazolones (azlactones) are multifunctional compounds, which contain numerous reactive sites allowing a wide variety of chemical transformations. They can act as mesoionic azomethine ylides in the 1,3 dipolar-cycloaddition (DC) reactions with a large range of dipolarophile, including carbon nanomaterials (Fig. 1).1 We have demonstrated that the solvent-free 1,3-DC reaction between oxazolone and the graphite is an effective tool for the direct functionalization and delamination of graphite flakes into few layers of graphene (G).2 The procedure has been tested by employing two substituted oxazolones and a high degree of functionalization was obtained for both substrates under mild conditions. The exfoliation efficiency depends upon the oxazolone substitution pattern. Moreover, computational studies showed that the reaction proceed mainly on the corner and on the edge of graphenic system. The loading on G surface of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs), as contrast markers, has been used for the identification of the reactive sites.