Graphene-like (GL) layers as building blocks for advanced materials and composites development

Advanced materials and composites can be developed by exploiting eco-friendly approaches based on the tailoring and destructuring of carbon-based materials from unconventional sources (carbon black, carbonized and pyrolyzed biomasses, char,...). Wet-chemistry approaches are a top-notch choice, thanks to the ability to destructuring carbonaceous matrices leading to graphenic layers with tunable properties. In our approach, the development of cost-effective protocols for advanced materials and composites production is based on the exploitation of the versatility of the carbonaceous moieties, prone to be modified (structuring/de-structuring) at molecular level in mild condition and green solvents (water among all). Starting from carbon black and exploiting a two-step synthetic approach leading to graphene-like layers (GL) [1,2], we designed and produced a wide array of carbon-based materials and composites. GL layers have been employed for thin films production [1,2], also by ink-jet printing technology. Their ability to act as chemiresistive sensor layer has been proved for alcohols detection [3]. Conductive composites have been also produced growing Metal-Organic Frameworks crystals (Cu-BTC) on GL layers [4]. Biocompatible conductive interfaces have been synthetized by allowing the polymerization of eumelanin precursors in presence of GL-layers [5]. TiO2/GL photoactive composites have been synthetized by both a solvothermal and copolymerization approaches [6,7]. The bacteriostatic properties of GL layers [8] also opened challenging routes for biocompatible materials fabrication. These first attempts in the use of graphene-like layers as building blocks for composite materials preparation pave the way for the designing and realization of a large variety of tunable composites for specific applications.