Graphene Oxide Based LCs

GO is the oxygenated form of a graphene monolayer platelet with chemical functionalization capability, and extremely large surface area. GO is mass-producible 

Kim et al. first introduced GO LCs as a versatile new class of carbon-based LCs 

Xu et al. reported the formation and salt-dependent phase behavior of GO LCs 

Very recently, the same group has reported lyotropic LCs of polyacrylonitrile-grafted GOs [119]. Polyacrylonitrile chains were covalently and uniformly grafted onto GO surfaces via a simple free radical polymerization process. These functionalized sheets were well-dispersed in polar organic solvents such as dimeth-ylformamide and dimethyl sulphoxide forming nematic and lamellar LCs upon increasing concentrations. Continuous nacre-mimetic fibers have been assembled from these liquid crystalline phases. 

Dan et al. reported the fabrication of discotic nematic liquid crystalline phase by giant GO flakes with very high aspect ratio (10 ) in water [120]. It was observed that higher aspect ratio led to a dramatic change in mesomorphic behavior and the phase transition took place at concentrations with one order of magnitude lower than usually observed. The GO flakes were prepared by an improved synthetic method which furnished more regular structures and better intact basal plane 

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