VOLUME 6 NUMBER 1 (January to June 2013)

by Juliet Q. Dalagan^1,2* and Erwin P. Enriquez²

¹Chemistry Department, Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan, Corrales Avenue, Cagayan de Oro City, 9000
²Department of Chemistry, Ateneo de Manila University, Loyola Heights, Quezon City, 1108

In this present work, the synthesis and characterization ofgraphene-diatom silica were studied. Diatom silicagraphenecomposite was prepared via the adsorption ofgraphene suspension into diatom silica extracted from 3different species, namely Amphora sp., Navicularamossisira and Skeletonema sp. The adsorption proceeded toyield a black solid material that is composed of silica andgraphene. The concentrations of graphene in the 3 diatomspecies based on thermogravimetric and UV-Vis spectroscopicmethods were 0.306 mg/mL, 0.449 mg/mL and 0.188 mg/mL forAmphora sp., Navicula ramossisira and Skeletonema sp.,respectively. Raman spectroscopy of the graphene-diatom silicarevealed band shifts in the D, G and 2D peaks which areindicative of an interaction between graphene and diatom silica.Scanning Electron Microscopic (SEM) images also illustratepresence of graphene on diatom silica.