Morphology,Ionic Conductivity,and Impedance Spectroscopy Studies of Graphene Oxide-Filled Polyvinylchloride Nanocomposites

Graphene oxide was synthesized using modified Hummers method. The preparation of polyvinylchloride/graphene oxide nanocomposites was carried out using colloidal processing. The morphology of polyvinylchloride/graphene oxide nanocomposite confirms that graphene oxide was uniformly distributed within the polyvinylchloride matrix indicating complete exfoliation of graphene oxide. Significant improvement in the microhardness of the nanocomposite was observed as compared to neat polyvinylchloride. The impedance spectroscopy of nanocomposites was carried out in the frequency range (50 Hz to 35 MHz) and temperature range (80–150°C). Thus, based on the results obtained, we found that polyvinylchloride/graphene oxide nanocomposites hold great promise in many potential applications such as an electrode material for supercapacitors.     

Synthesis of cellulose/reduced graphene oxide/polyaniline nanocomposite and its properties

A series of conductive nanocomposites cellulose/reduced graphene oxide/polyaniline (cellulose/RGO/PANi) were synthesized via in situ oxidative polymerization of aniline on cellulose/RGO with different RGO loading to study the effect of RGO on the properties of nanocomposites. The results showed that when RGO is inserted into cellulose/PANi structure, its thermal stability and conductivity are increased. So that adding of only 0.3 wt% RGO into the cellulose/PANi structure, its conductivity is increased from 1.1 × 1 10^?1 to 5.2 × 110^?1 S/cm. Scanning electron microscopy results showed that the PANi nanoparticles are formed a continuous spherical shape over the cellulose/RGO template; this increases the thermal stability of nanocomposite.     

Gold nanoparticles/single-stranded DNA-reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites based electrochemical biosensor for highly sensitive detection of cholesterol

High density and uniform distribution of the gold nanoparticles functionalized single-stranded DNA modified reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites were obtained by non-covalent interaction. The positive gold nanoparticles prepared by phase inversion method exhibited good dimensional homogeneity and dispersibility, which could readily combine with single-stranded DNA modified reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites by electrostatic interactions. The modification of single-stranded DNA endowed the reduced graphene oxide with favorable biocompatibility and provided the preferable surface with negative charge for further assembling of gold nanoparticles to obtain gold nanoparticles/single-stranded DNA modified reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites with better conductivity, larger specific surface area, biocompatibility and electrocatalytic characteristics. The as-prepared nanocomposites were applied as substrates for the construction of cholesterol oxidase modified electrode and well realized the direct electron transfer between the enzyme and electrode. The modified gold nanoparticles could further catalyze the products of cholesterol oxidation catalyzed by cholesterol oxidase, which was beneficial to the enzyme-catalyzed reaction. The as-fabricated bioelectrode exhibited excellent electrocatalytic performance for the cholesterol with a linear range of 7.5−280.5 μmol·L⁻¹, a low detection limit of 2.1 μmol·L⁻¹, good stability and reproducibility. Moreover, the electrochemical biosensor showed good selectivity and acceptable accuracy for the detection of cholesterol in human serum samples.     

Preparation and Properties of Ethylene-vinyl Acetate/linear Low-density Polyethylene/Graphene Oxide Nanocomposite Films

Ethylene-vinyl acetate-based nanocomposites with 18 and 28 wt% vinyl acetate were prepared via solution casting method. To improve the mechanical and barrier properties of ethylene-vinyl acetate, linear low-density polyethylene, and graphene oxide were introduced to matrix. The morphological studies indicated that the graphene oxide diffraction peak disappeared in all prepared nanocomposites, probably due to its exfoliation; also proper dispersion and good interaction between nanofillers and polymer matrix were achieved. By introducing low amount of graphene oxide into the matrix, the mechanical and thermal properties and oxygen permeability were improved especially for those with 28 wt% vinyl acetate monomer.     

In situ thermal reduction of graphene oxide in a styrene–ethylene/butylene–styrene triblock copolymer via melt blending

We report an in situ thermal reduction of graphene oxide (GO) in a styrene–ethylene/butylene–styrene (SEBS) triblock copolymer matrix during a melt‐blending process. A relatively high degree of reduction was achieved by melt‐blending premixed GO/SEBS nanocomposites in a Haake mixer for 25 min at 225 °C. Infrared spectral results revealed the successful thermal reduction of, and the strong adsorption of SEBS on, the graphene sheets. The glass transition temperature of polystyrene (PS) segments in SEBS was enhanced by the incorporation of thermally reduced graphene oxide (TRGO). The resultant TRGO/SEBS nanocomposites were used as a masterbatch to improve the mechanical properties of PS. Both the elongation at break and the flexural strength of PS/SEBS blends were enhanced with the addition of the TRGO. Our demonstration of the in situ thermal reduction of GO via melt blending is a simple, efficient strategy for preparing nanocomposites with well‐dispersed TRGO in the polymer matrix, which could be an important route for large‐scale fabrication of high‐performance graphene/polymer nanocomposites. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry     

Fabrication of ZrO2/rGO nanocomposites by flash sintering under AC electric fields

Ceramic matrix nanocomposites containing graphene possess superior mechanical properties. However, these nanocomposites are very difficult to be prepared using the conventional methods due to severe grain growth and simultaneous degradation of the graphene at high sintering temperatures and long dwell time. Herein, the dense ZrO₂/rGO (reduced graphene oxide) nanocomposites are successfully fabricated by flash sintering of the green compacts consisting of ZrO₂ nanoparticles and graphene oxide (GO) at 893–951℃ in merely 5 seconds under the alternating current (AC) electric fields of 130–150 V cm⁻¹. The GO can be in situ thermal reduced during the flash sintering. The as-prepared ZrO₂/rGO nanocomposites exhibit excellent mechanical properties. This study presents a green and simple approach to fabricate the dense ceramic matrix nanocomposites reinforced with graphene at low temperatures in a short time.     

Facile synthesis of reduced graphene oxide/MWNTs nanocomposite supercapacitor materials tested as electrophoretically deposited films on glassy carbon electrodes

This paper reports on a facile synthesis method for reduced graphene oxide (rGO)/multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) nanocomposites. The initial step involves the use of graphene oxide to disperse the MWNTs, with subsequent reduction of the resultant graphene oxide/MWNTs composites using l-ascorbic acid (LAA) as a mild reductant. Reduction by LAA preserves the interaction between the rGO sheets and MWNTs. The dispersion-containing rGO/MWNTs composites was characterized and electrophoretically deposited anodically onto glassy carbon electrodes to form high surface area films for capacitance testing. Pseudo capacitance peaks were observed in the rGO/MWNTs composite electrodes, resulting in superior performance with capacitance values up to 134.3 F g^?1 recorded. This capacitance value is higher than those observed for LAA-reduced GO (LAA-rGO) (63.5 F g^?1), electrochemically reduced GO (EC-rGO) (27.6 F g^?1), or electrochemically reduced GO/MWNTs (EC-rGO/MWNTs) (98.4 F g^?1)-based electrodes.     

High acetic acid sensing performance of Mg-doped ZnO/rGO nanocomposites

Mg-doped ZnO/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanocomposites were synthesized using a facile and cost-effective sol-gel procedure to detect acetic acid vapor. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), ultraviolet-visible (UV–vis) diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, and photoluminescence (PL) analysis were utilized to characterize morphologies, compositions of the nanocomposites, and optical properties of the synthesized nanostructures. The gas sensing measurements of spin-coated Mg-doped ZnO/rGO thin films were carried out for a temperature range of 150–350?°C at various acetic acid vapor concentrations. It was found that the Mg-doped sample with 20?wt%/v of GO solution concentration exhibited the response/recovery time of 60?s/35?s with the best response of ~?200% for 100?ppm of acetic acid at 250?°C.     

Covalently linked biocompatible graphene/polycaprolactone composites for tissue engineering

Two synthesis routes to graphene/polycaprolactone composites are introduced and the properties of the resulting composites compared. In the first method, mixtures are produced using solution processing of polycaprolactone and well dispersed, chemically reduced graphene oxide and in the second, an esterification reaction covalently links polycaprolactone chains to free carboxyl groups on the graphene sheets. This is achieved through the use of a stable anhydrous dimethylformamide dispersion of graphene that has been highly chemically reduced resulting in mostly peripheral ester linkages. The resulting covalently linked composites exhibit far better homogeneity and as a result, both Young’s modulus and tensile strength more than double and electrical conductivities increase by ≈ 14 orders of magnitude over the pristine polymer at less than 10% graphene content. In vitro cytotoxicity testing of the materials showed good biocompatibility resulting in promising materials for use as conducting substrates for the electrically stimulated growth of cells.     

Structural,Morphological, Optical,and Electrical Properties of PANi-ZnO Nanocomposites

Thin films of polyaniline (PANi) and PANi–Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanocomposites have been synthesized by a spin-coating technique. The ZnO powder of particle size 50–60 nm was synthesized by sol–gel technique and the polyaniline was synthesized by chemical oxidative polymerization of aniline. The nanocomposite films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), UV–Vis spectroscopy, and four probe technique, and the results were compared with polyaniline films.     

Synthesis of “L-cysteine–graphene oxide” hybrid by new methods and elucidation of its uptake properties for Hg(II) ion

This study introduces two new, simple, and scalable methods for synthesis of “cysteine–graphene oxide” hybrid, namely nucleophilic and covalent methods. Produced adsorbents could uptake 500 and 600 mg Hg²⁺/g, respectively, which are larger than capacities of most of the commercial adsorbents. By means of different instrumental techniques, chemical structures of the obtained graphene products were disclosed, and two pertinent mechanisms for their formations were suggested. Time for attaining uptake equilibrium for nucleophilic/covalent samples was 30 min/150 min, and kinetics was controlled by liquid film resistance/chemical reaction mechanisms, respectively. High selectivity and good regenerability are other key features of the prepared adsorbents.     

Ultrasound–assisted synthesis and characterization of polymethyl methacrylate/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites

This article reports ultrasound–assisted synthesis of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)/reduced graphene oxide (RGO) nanocomposites by in situ emulsion polymerization coupled with in situ reduction of graphene oxide. The thermal degradation kinetics of the nanocomposites was also assessed with Criado and Coats‐Redfern methods. Intense microconvection generated by ultrasound and cavitation results in uniform dispersion of RGO in the polymer matrix, which imparts markedly higher physical properties to resulting nanocomposites at low (≤1.0 wt %) RGO loadings, as compared to nanocomposites synthesized with mechanical stirring. Some important properties of the PMMA/RGO nanocomposites synthesized with sonication (with various RGO loadings) are: glass transition temperature (0.4 wt %) = 124.5°C, tensile strength (0.4 wt %) = 40.4 MPa, electrical conductivity (1.0 wt %) = 2 × 10^?7 S/cm, electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness (1.0 wt %) = 3.3 dB. Predominant thermal degradation mechanism of nanocomposites (1.0 wt % RGO) is 1D diffusion with activation energy of 111.3 kJ/mol. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 64: 673–687, 2018     

Allyl-Functionalization enhanced thermally stable graphene/fluoroelastomer nanocomposites

Development of new elastomers with novel functionality has continued since their discovery in order to meet industrial and defense needs in harsh environments. The recent advance of carbon nanomaterials inspired innovative material design strategies and enable more effective production of high-performance elastomers. In this paper, the free radical initiated crosslinking reaction in graphene/fluoroelastomer nanocomposites was studied and the effects of chemical functionalization of graphene nanosheets were analyzed. It indicated that graphene oxide (GO) enhanced fluoroelastomer nanocomposites demonstrated poor high-temperature stability due to the pyrolysis at around 200 °C. In contrast, reduced graphene oxide (RGO) enhanced fluoroelastomer exhibited good thermal stability, but RGO didn't participate in the crosslinking, resulting in very limited improvement in mechanical properties. In this paper, reduced allyl functionalized graphene was studied for the first time to enhance free radical initiated elastomers. The reduced allyl functionalization of graphene was demonstrated to impart superior thermal stability and enhanced mechanical properties to the elastomer matrices. The study of vulcanization kinetics provided insights that the allyl functional groups participated in and accelerated the crosslinking. These results indicated a scalable method to incorporate the advantages of graphene into polymer matrices through free radical reaction. The discovery is very promising to be used in the industry to fabricate gaskets, o-rings, and membranes for high temperature applications.     

Synthesis of graphene/vitamin C template-controlled polyaniline nanotubes composite for high performance supercapacitor electrode

A graphene nanosheet/polyaniline nanotube (GPNT) composite is prepared for the first time by in-situ chemical oxidative polymerization of aniline using vitamin C as a structure directing agent. The vitamin C molecules lead to the synthesis of polyaniline (PANI) nanotubes through the development of rod-like assembly by H-bonding in an aqueous medium. The initially synthesized graphene oxide/polyaniline nanotubes composite is reduced to graphene using hydrazine monohydrate followed by re-oxidation and protonation of the PANI to produce the GPNT nanocomposite. This novel composite showed a high specific capacitance of 534.37 F/g and an excellent energy density of 74.27 Wh/kg at a constant current of 0.5 mA. Besides, the GPNT composite exhibited excellent cycle life with 91.4% specific capacitance retained after 500 charge-discharge cycles. The excellent performance is due to the synergistic combination of graphene which provides good electrical conductivity and mechanical stability, and PANI nanofiber which deals with good redox activity.     

Effect of the sheet size on the thermal stability of silicone rubber–reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites

The structures of differently sized reduced graphene oxides (rGOs), the dispersion state, and the compatibility of rGO with silicone rubber (SR) are important impact factors on the properties of SR–rGO nanocomposites. To analyze the influence of the size of rGO on the properties of SR-based nanocomposites, three differently sized rGO sheets were introduced into SR to fabricate a series of SR-based nanocomposites. The SR–middle-sized reduced graphene oxide (MrGO) nanocomposites showed the best mechanical and thermal properties. Compared with the blank sample, the SR–MrGO nanocomposites presented remarkable two-fold and three-fold increases in the tensile modulus and strength values. The initial degradation temperature increased nearly 40 °C. In this study, we investigated the size effect of graphene on the thermal stability by examining the thermal degradation mechanism of the different SR–rGO nanocomposites in detail. Ultimately, this research may suggest a facile approach for improving the thermal stability of SR. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 47034.     

Fabrication, Characterization and Application of Polymer Nanocomposites for Arsenic(III) Removal from Water

Polymer nanocomposites constituted of [ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) (70 %) polycaprolactone (PCL) (15 %) Fe₃O₄ (15 %)] were synthesized and applied in the removal of Arsenic(III) from contaminated water. Arsenic contamination in water is a severe problem globally because arsenic is toxic even at low concentrations. The aim of this study is to incorporate magnetite (Fe₃O₄) into a polymer blend that is to be used as an adsorbent for the removal of As(III). In this study EVA–PCL copolymers with magnetite were synthesized via the melt blending technique. The nanocomposites were characterized by the use scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetry analysis and X-ray diffraction. Batch experiments were carried out to investigate the ability of polymer nanocomposites to adsorb As(III) from contaminated water. A maximum sorption capacity of 2.83 mg/g at 26 ± 2 °C and pH 8.6 was obtained. Adsorption data were fitted to Langmuir, Freundlich and Dubinin–Radushkevich isotherms. The process fits well with the Langmuir isotherm. As(III) obeyed pseudo-second order kinetics. The nanocomposites investigated in this study showed good potential for As(III) removal from contaminated water. The dispersion of magnetite nanoparticles into the polymers resulted with improved surface area for better adsorption of As(III).     

Improving the electrochemical performance by sulfonation of polyaniline-graphene-silica composite for high performance supercapacitor

In this work, to increase the specific capacitance and energy density of reduced graphene oxide–silica composite (RGO-SiO₂), pseudocapacitive behaviour of polyaniline is introduced to RGO-SiO₂(PANI-RGO-SiO₂) and further improved by sulfonating the polyaniline system (SPANI-RGO-SiO₂). Formation of SPANI-RGO-SiO₂ is confirmed from IR and XRD analyses. SPANI-RGO-SiO₂ shows nanorods morphology with less crystalline nature. The specific capacitance of RGO-SiO₂ is increases from 24 to 780 F g^?1 with sulfonation of polyaniline in RGO-SiO₂. Retention in the specific capacitance value of SPANI-RGO-SiO₂ is 85% with that of its original value of 780 F g^?1 with coulombic efficiency (96–99%).     

Polyaniline nanorod adsorbed on reduced graphene oxide nanosheet for enhanced dielectric,viscoelastic and thermal properties of epoxy nanocomposites

In this work, polyaniline nanorod adsorbed on reduced graphene oxide (P@G) hybrid filler was prepared via in situ polymerization of aniline monomer in the presence of reduced graphene oxide as template. Fourier transform infrared, X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy images revealed the formation of P@G hybrid. The P@G hybrid was dispersed in dichlorobenzene and then introduced into epoxy resin at different loadings. The epoxy nanocomposites containing 9 wt% P@G hybrids (E/P@G9) exhibited a maximum DC conductivity of 1.34 × 10⁻⁵ S/cm that is eight orders higher compared to pure epoxy. At 10³ Hz, a dielectric constant (ε′) of 163 was attained for E/P@G9, nearly 34 times higher than pure epoxy. A percolation threshold of 4 vol% was observed for ε′. Dynamic mechanical studies showed that significant enhancement in storage modulus values were exhibited for 3 and 5 wt% of hybrids. The glass transition temperature showed a maximum shift of 10°C to higher temperatures at 3 wt% loading of P@G hybrids (E/P@G3). The tensile strength, Young's modulus, and impact strength of the E/P@G3 nanocomposites enhanced by 19.7, 72, and 12%, respectively. The thermal stability of the epoxy nanocomposites also enhanced with the addition of P@G hybrid.     

Vertically oriented polyaniline‐graphene nanocomposite based on functionalized graphene for supercapacitor electrode

Polyaniline functionalized reduced graphene oxide (PORGO) is prepared by interfacial polymerization and then vertically oriented polyaniline‐graphene (PANI‐PORGO) nanocomposites based on PORGO are developed successfully by in situ polymerization. The morphology and structure are characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE‐SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectra (FT‐IR), Raman spectra and X‐ray diffraction (XRD). The electrochemical tests indicate that the specific capacitance of PORGO and PANI‐PORGO is as high as 291 and 369 F/g, respectively, at the current density of 1 A/g. PANI—PORGO nanocomposite exhibits high electrochemical activity and enhanced cycle stability with a capacitance retention of 81.2% after 500 cycles at 10 A/g. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134, 44808.     

Characterization and Properties of Poly(methyl methacrylate)/Graphene,Poly(methyl methacrylate)/Graphene Oxide and Poly(methyl methacrylate)/p-Phenylenediamine-Graphene Oxide Nanocomposites

In this study, poly(methyl methacrylate)/p-phenylenediamine-graphene oxide, poly(methyl methacrylate)/graphene, and poly(methyl methacrylate)/graphene oxide nanocomposite series were prepared using simple solution blending technique. In poly(methyl methacrylate)/p-phenylenediamine-graphene oxide series, graphene oxide modified with p-phenylenediamine was used to improve its dispersion and interfacial strength with matrix. Morphology study of poly(methyl methacrylate)/p-phenylenediamine-graphene oxide nanocomposite revealed better dispersion of p-phenylenediamine-graphene oxide flakes and gyroid patterning of poly(methyl methacrylate) over the filler surface. Due to nonconducting nature of graphene oxide, there was no significant variation in the thermal or electrical conductivity of these nanocomposites. Thermal conductivity of poly(methyl methacrylate)/p-phenylenediamine-graphene oxide 1.5 was 1.16 W/mK, while the electrical conductivity was found to be 2.3 × 10^?3 S/cm.