High‐ versus Low‐Quality Graphene: A Mechanistic Investigation of Electrografted Diazonium‐Based Films for Growth of Polymer Brushes

Electrografting using aryldiazonium salts provides a fast and efficient technique to functionalize commercially available 3−5 layered graphene (vapour-deposited) on nickel. In this study, Raman spectroscopy is used to quantify the grafting efficiency of cyclic voltammetry which is one of the most versatile, yet simple, electrochemical techniques available. To a large extent the number of defects/substituents introduced to the basal plane of high-quality graphene by this procedure can be controlled through the sweeping conditions employed. After extended electrografting the defect density reaches a saturation level (∼1013 cm−2) which is independent of the quality of the graphene expressed through its initial content of defects. However, it is reached within fewer voltammetric cycles for low-quality graphene. Based on these results it is suggested that the grafting occurs (a) directly at defect sites for, in particular, low-quality graphene, (b) directly at the basal plane for, in particular, high-quality graphene, and/or (c) at already grafted molecules to give a mushroom-like film growth for all films. Moreover, it is shown that a tertiary alkyl bromide can be introduced at a given surface density to serve as radical initiator for surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP). Brushes of poly(methyl methacrylate) are grown from these substrates, and the relationship between polymer thickness and sweeping conditions is studied.