Graphenes prepared from multi-walled carbon nanotubes and stacked graphene nanofibers for detection of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) in seawater.

The study on explosive materials is paramount due to the potential hazards to national security and health. When disposed of, explosives can cause seawater pollution. The detection of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) in seawater has been examined on two different forms of graphene, mainly graphene prepared from the unzipping of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and from the exfoliation of stacked graphene nanofibers (SGNFs). Graphene sheets prepared from MWCNTs exhibited sheet dimensions of 5000 × 300 nm, while graphene prepared from SGNFs exhibited sheet dimensions of 50 × 50 nm. Graphene prepared from MWCNTs was found to exhibit a higher order of sensitivity than the one prepared from nanofibers in both borate buffer solution and seawater. We demonstrate that it is of high importance to study different sources and methods of preparation of graphenes for analytical chemistry applications.