Modification of perylene red pigments with graphene oxide

This study employed monolayer graphene oxide to modify the surface of perylene pigments C.I. Pigment Red 179 and C.I. Pigment Red 149 via ball milling in a solvent medium, aiming to improve their performance. The composition and structure of modified pigments were determined and characterized with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and their fluorescence properties, specific surface area, thermal stability, particle size distribution, color characteristics, water contact angle, and dispersion stability were assessed. In addition, the adsorption structure and electronic properties of graphene oxide on the surface of perylene red pigment molecules, as well as the interaction behavior of perylene red pigment molecules with graphene oxide, were explained by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Results showed non-covalent interactions between perylene red pigments and monolayer graphene oxide, leading to a more concentrated particle size distribution, enhanced yellow hue, and increased color strength to 104.3 %–117.1 %. The interaction distance between the two components was approximately 3.6 Å.