Nanotechnologies — Chemical characterization of graphene in in powders and suspensions

The document describes methods for characterising the chemical properties of powders or liquid dispersions containing graphene-related two-dimensional materials, using a set of suitable measurement techniques. The techniques detailed are X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). These determine the carbon-to-oxygen ratio, elemental composition, trace metal impurities, weight percentage of chemical species and the functional groups present. The sample preparation, protocols and data analysis for the different techniques are included.