Nitrated Graphene Oxide Derived from Graphite Oxide: A Promising Energetic Two-Dimensional Material

In order to synthesize a novel two-dimensional energetic material, nitrated graphene oxide (NGO) was prepared by the nitrification of graphite oxide to make a functional modification. Based on the morphological characterization, the NGO has a greater degree of curl and more wrinkles on the surface. The structure characterization and density functional theory calculation prove that epoxy and hydroxyl groups on the edge of graphite oxide have reacted with nitronium cation (NO₂⁺) to produce nitro and nitrate groups. Hydrophobicity of NGO implied higher stability in storage than graphene oxide. Synchronous simultaneous analysis was used to explore the decomposition mechanism of NGO preliminarily. The decomposition enthalpy of NGO is 662.0 J·g^-1 and the activation energy is 166.5 kJ·mol^-1. The thermal stability is similar to that of general nitrate energetic materials. The hygroscopicity, thermal stability and flammability of NGO prove that it is a novel two-dimensional material with potential applications as energetic additives in the catalyst, electrode materials and energetic devices.