Hybrid Materials of Graphene and Nanoparticles: Synthesis and Emerging Applications

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Recently, nanoparticle-functionalized graphene materials have been in the spotlight due to their exceptional properties. A pristine graphene sheet is an attractive candidate for the dispersion of nanoparticles due to its large active surface area compared to other carbon allotropes. Moreover, pristine graphene possesses electrical and mechanical strength, which gives it a unique architecture. The chemical functionalization of graphene intends to revamp its properties and elevate its use in multiple applications by incorporating different functional groups. There are two main approaches to the functionalization process, either based on covalent or noncovalent. This chapter elaborates on the major strategies employed for the nanoparticles functionalized graphene. The precursors of nanoparticles are metal salts which are reduced in the solvent of the desired substrate. The strategies above involve the deposition of metal nanoparticles, metal oxide nanoparticles, and quantum dots on graphene substrate. The functionalization of graphene improves its dispersion capacity and sets forth new properties, which broadens its scope of applications. Furthermore, we aim to focus on the potential of materials derived from nanoparticle functionalization in various applications such as wastewater management, biomedical devices, photocatalysis, food additives detection, supercapacitors, electrochemical gas sensors, and energy storage, flexible electronics, photonics, photovoltaic systems, and catalysts. We aspire that the readers will learn the synthetic strategies for the functionalization of graphene along with guidance and inspiration on the emerging trends towards applications of interest. This chapter surveys various properties and applications of nanoparticle-functionalized graphene.