2D Electrolytes: Theory, Modeling, Synthesis, and Characterization

Abstract

A class of compounds sharing the properties of 2D materials and electrolytes, namely 2D electrolytes is described theoretically and demonstrated experimentally. 2D electrolytes dissociate in different solvents, such as water, and become electrically charged. The chemical and physical properties of these compounds can be controlled by external factors, such as pH, temperature, electric permittivity of the medium, and ionic concentration. 2D electrolytes, in analogy with polyelectrolytes, present reversible morphological transitions from 2D to 1D, as a function of pH, due to the interplay of the elastic and Coulomb energies. Since these materials show stimuli‐responsive behavior to the environmental conditions, 2D electrolytes can be considered as a novel class of smart materials that expand the functionalities of 2D materials and are promising for applications that require stimuli‐responsive demeanor, such as drug delivery, artificial muscles, and energy storage.

Stability of a Rolled-Up Conformation State for Two-Dimensional Materials in Aqueous Solutions

“…The typical images of scrolls [19,30] indeed suggest uniform interlayer separation consistent with our assumption. Equation (2) makes sense for scrolls as long as |φ 0 −φ 1 | ≥ 2π.…”

“…(Here, k B is the Boltzmann constant.) Similar analysis can be performed for graphene with alternative functionalizations [19].…”

“…The functionalization ability of 2D scrolls [12][13][14][15] has ignited interest in various applications ranging from superlubricants for nanoparticles [16] to supercapacitors for miniaturized electronics [17,18]. Certain functionalized 2D materials allow for a transition between flat and rolled-up conformation states depending on the solution content and can be seen as 2D polyelectrolytes [19]. This fact opens perspectives for a mass production of 2D scrolls in a solvent [20][21][22][23].…”

Kinetics of Nanomedicine in Tumor Spheroid as an In Vitro Model System for Efficient Tumor-Targeted Drug Delivery With Insights From Mathematical Models

“…It has been observed that nanocylinders and nano-cuboids of a higher aspect ratio represent more nanoparticle penetration inside the spheroid when plotting the normalized intensity against their normalized distance from the center is done. This comparison can be drawn more clearly by the two-photon microscopy highlighting the more accumulation of nanoparticles inside the spheroid for the higher aspect ratios of the nanocylinders and nano-cuboids sized drug molecules (Horacio et al, 2011; Lazzari et al, 2017 ; Costa et al, 2021 ). The higher aspect ratio, hence the larger surface area in contact, can be stated as one of the reasons for this favored penetration, which promotes a higher avidity between the cells and diffusion across spheroids.…”

Pseudocapacitive Conjugated Polyelectrolyte/2D Electrolyte Hydrogels with Enhanced Physico‐Electrochemical Properties

“…2D electrolytes have been previously defined in the literature as 2D materials that are functionalized with different chemical groups that experience either protonation or deprotonation in dispersion and become positively (2D cations) or negatively (2D anions) charged, respectively. [34] Our interest in 2D electrolytes is due to the following two considerations (Figure 1a): first, the aromatic domains in their basal plane can interact with the backbone of CPE-K via π-π stacking and hydrophobic interactions; second, they can be chemically functionalized with cationic groups to promote coulombic interactions. Chemically functionalized graphene oxide (GO) is employed as the model 2D electrolyte in this study.…”