title: Graphene Oxide Restricts Growth and Recrystallization of Ice Crystals.
abstract: We show graphene oxide (GO) greatly suppresses the growth and recrystallization of ice crystals, and ice crystals display a hexagonal shape in the GO dispersion. Preferred adsorption of GO on the ice crystal surface in liquid water leads to curved ice crystal surface. Therefore, the growth of ice crystal is suppressed owing to the Gibbs-Thompson effect, that is, the curved surface lowers the freezing temperature. Molecular dynamics simulation analysis reveals that oxidized groups on the basal plane of GO form more hydrogen bonds with ice in comparison with liquid water because of the honeycomb hexagonal scaffold of graphene, giving a molecular-level mechanism for controlling ice formation. Application of GO for cryopreservation shows that addition of only 0.01 wt % of GO to a culture medium greatly increases the motility (from 24.3 % to 71.3 %) of horse sperms. This work reports the control of growth of ice with GO, and opens a new avenue for the application of 2D materials.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Green Printing, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Hongya
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Geng
authors.affiliation: Division of Interfacial Water and Key Laboratory of Interfacial Physics and Technology, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201800, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Xing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Division of Interfacial Water and Key Laboratory of Interfacial Physics and Technology, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201800, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Guosheng
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Green Printing, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Guoying
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.affiliation: Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Biological Resources and Genetic Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, 830002, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Ji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Institute of Animal Science, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Science, Urumqi, 830022, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Jingbo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Animal Science, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Science, Urumqi, 830022, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Zhuangyuan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Green Printing, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yanlin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Division of Interfacial Water and Key Laboratory of Interfacial Physics and Technology, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201800, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Haiping
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Green Printing, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Jianjun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D003460:Crystallization; D006108:Graphite / Q000737:chemistry*; D007053:Ice; D056004:Molecular Dynamics Simulation; D010087:Oxides / Q000737:chemistry*; D010316:Particle Size; D013499:Surface Properties; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D007053:Ice; D010087:Oxides; D014867:Water; D006108:Graphite
keywords: Gibbs-Thompson effect; cryopreservation; graphene oxide; hydrogen bonds; ice formation