Covalently Bonded Chitosan on Graphene Oxide via Redox Reaction.docVIP

Materials 2013, 6, 911-926; doi:10.3390/ma6030911 OPEN ACCESS materials ISSN 1996-1944 /journal/materials Article Covalently Bonded Chitosan on Graphene Oxide via Redox Reaction Karina Bustos-Ramírez 1,3, Ana L. Martínez-Hernández 2,3, Gonzalo Martínez-Barrera 1, Miguel de Icaza , Víctor M. Casta?o and Carlos Velasco-Santos 2,3,* 3 3 1 Posgrado en Ciencia de Materiales, Laboratorio de Investigación y Desarrollo de Materiales Avanzados (LIDMA), Facultad de Química, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Km.12 de la carretera Toluca-Atlacomulco, San Cayetano 50200, Mexico; E-Mails: ckl2833@ (K.B.-R.); gonzomartinez02@.mx (G.M.-B.) 2 División de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, Instituto Tecnológico de Querétaro, Av. Tecnológico s/n Esq. M. Escobedo, Querétaro 76000, Mexico; E-Mail: almh72@ 3 Centro de Física Aplicada y Tecnología Avanzada, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, AP 1-1010, Querétaro 76000, Mexico; E-Mails: deicazah@ (M.I.); meneses@unam.mx (V.M.C.) * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: cylaura@; Tel.: +52-4422-381-145; Fax: +52-4422-381-165. Received: 4 January 2013; in revised form: 7 February 2013 / Accepted: 26 February 2013/ Published: 7 March 2013 Abstract: Carbon nanostructures have played an important role in creating a new field of materials based on carbon. Chemical modification of carbon nanostructures through grafting has been a successful step to improve dispersion and compatibility in solvents, with biomolecules and polymers to form nanocomposites. In this sense carbohydrates such as chitosan are extremely valuable because their functional groups play an important role in diversifying the applications of carbon nanomaterials. This paper reports the covalent attachment of chitosan onto graphene oxide, taking advantage of this carbohydrate at the nanometric level. Grafting is an innovative route to modify properties of graphene, a two-dimensional