Controllable synthesis of functional nanocomposites: Covalently functionalize graphene sheets with biocompatible L-lysine

In this paper a novel method to synthesize functionalize graphene sheets (Gs) by biocompatible L-lysine (Gs/Lys) is reported. The method was composed of two steps: (1) we controllably synthesized self-assembly Gs/Lys-Cu-Lys through the terminal amino of copper L-lysine (Lys-Cu-Lys) attaching to graphite oxide (GO) and then reducing. (2) Obtained the Gs/Lys by eliminating the copper ion. This method could also be used to functionalize other nanomaterials by L-lysine. The Gs/Lys nanocomposites are water-soluble, biocompatible, and above all, it is a chiral material of graphene, which is proposed by us. This novel material will be promising for more applications of graphene. The formation of Gs/Lys nanocomposites were confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectra (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermal gravimetric (TG) analysis.