Selective liquid sorption properties of hydrophobized graphite oxide nanostructures

Hydrophilic graphite oxide (GO) of lamellar structure was prepared by oxidation of graphite; the thickness of the individual lamellae was 6.1 A. GO was hydrophobized by n-alkylammonium cations, and the GO-organocomplex nanocomposites were swollen in organic solvents of various polarities (ethanol, toluene, cyclohexane, n-heptane) and their binary mixtures. The binary liquid composition determined the size (15–45 A) of the lamellar GO nanostructures. Interlamellar swelling was quantitatively characterized by XRD experiments, determination of liquid sorption excess isotherms and flow microcalorimetry.