A facile method was reported to produce a modified graphene via Diels‐Alder cycloaddition reaction with malemide and graphite precursors. Two procedures were used for the embedding of malemide functional groups on surface or edge of graphene; MI‐EGnPs (maleimide edge‐functionalized graphene nanoparticles) with the more edges functional groups and MI‐GnPs (maleimide functionalized graphene nanoparticles) with the more surface functional groups. In order to investigate the influence of functionalization on the electrochemical behavior of the modified graphene structures, the prepared materials were used as the metal‐free electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline media. MI‐ EGnPs showed a Tafel slope of −110 mV dec⁻¹ compared to −168 mV dec⁻¹ for MI‐GnPs. The observed difference in the electrochemical performances of the samples were interpreted due to the connection places of functional groups.

中文翻译：

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石墨与Diels-Alder反应的功能化，以制造高效的氢气释放反应用无金属电催化剂

据报道，一种简便的方法是通过Diels-Alder与马来酰亚胺和石墨前体的环加成反应生产改性的石墨烯。使用两种方法将马来酰亚胺官能团嵌入石墨烯的表面或边缘。具有更多边缘官能团的MI‐EGnPs（马来酰亚胺边缘官能化的石墨烯纳米颗粒）和具有更多表面官能团的MI‐GnPs（马来酰亚胺官能化石墨烯纳米颗粒）。为了研究功能化对改性石墨烯结构的电化学行为的影响，将制备的材料用作碱性介质中氢析出反应（HER）的无金属电催化剂。MI‐EGnPs的Tafel斜率为−110 mV dec ^-1，而−168 mV dec ^-1适用于MI-GnP。由于官能团的连接位置，解释了样品在电化学性能上观察到的差异。