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In drug delivery systems, graphene materials are promising drug carriers. Drug molecules are loaded on graphene through π-π interaction between graphene and benzene ring structure, which is widely found in organic drug molecules. Then the drug molecules are released under different conditions, such as different environmental pH, at lesion site. In the application, the adsorption and desorption between benzene ring structure in drug molecules and graphene play a key role. Herein, an experimental method for measuring the adhesion force between a single phenyl and graphene is proposed, and the adsorption and desorption mechanical properties of a benzene ring structure on graphene surface at different environmental pH are firstly measured. The experimental results show that the adhesion force decreases with the increase of environmental pH. Moreover, molecular dynamics simulations show that the influence of pH on adhesion force is mainly realized by changing the electrostatic potential distribution on graphene surface, and the interaction force between a single benzene and graphene changes from attractive to repulsive with the increase of environmental alkalinity. In addition, a molecular dynamics model for the dynamic adsorption and desorption capacities of benzene molecules on graphene surface at different quantity of ions is established. Benzene molecules can achieve full adsorption on the surface of graphene when there are 10 and 20 hydrogen ions. And benzene molecules can achieve full desorption on the surface of graphene when there are 10 and 20 hydroxide ions. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In field of drug delivery, graphene is a potential material as drug carrier due to its large specific surface area and excellent chemical stability. Many kinds of drug molecules can be adsorbed on graphene surface through single or multiple benzene ring structures in drug molecules. Graphene loaded with drug molecules needs to be transported to the lesion site through blood. The content of water molecules in blood accounts for 92%. Therefore, the influence of water molecule on adsorption performance cannot be ignored. Here, the influence and mechanism of water molecule on the adsorption properties between benzene molecule and graphene is studied. The adsorption models of benzene molecule on graphene surface in vacuum and water environments are established, respectively. The adhesion energy, adhesion force and stable adsorption position of benzene molecule in two environments are analyzed by molecular dynamics simulation and potential function theory. Moreover, a model of preadsorption of a single water molecule on graphene surface is further presented, which explains the reason of the difference in adsorption performance in vacuum and water environment from the perspective of energy. The preadsorption of water molecule on graphene surface promotes the adsorption of benzene molecule. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The negative Poisson's ratio (NPR) of graphene is studied via molecular dynamics (MD) simulations when epoxy groups are orderly arranged on its surface. When two epoxy groups are located on the same side of the zigzag bridge in a representative cell of graphene, a ripple area appears on the graphene surface. A truss structure model of the ripple is presented to reveal the nature of the NPR phenomenon due to the de-wrinkling effect during stretching. Based on this, the wrinkle region is defined as a periodic distribution unit, and it is evenly distributed along the X- and Y-direction in the 5 nm × 5 nm graphene, then it is found that graphene exhibits a remarkable negative Poisson's ratio phenomenon. In addition, the results show that the oxygen atoms proportion of graphene significantly influence its NPR, and the NPR is the most remarkable when the proportion of oxygen atoms is 4.2 %. [Display omitted] • NPR of graphene caused by epoxy group was studied by theoretical and MD method. • A truss structure model was presented to reveal the nature of NPR phenomenon. • The designed graphene containing epoxy groups exhibits remarkable NPR phenomenon. • NPR of graphene containing epoxy groups depends on the proportion of oxygen atoms. • GO with 4.2 % oxygen atoms has the most remarkable NPR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]