In situ thermal reduction of graphene oxide for high electrical conductivity and low percolation threshold in polyamide 6 nanocomposites

Electrically conductive and thermally stable polyamide 6 (PA 6) nanocomposites were prepared through one-step in situ polymerization of ε-caprolactam monomer in the presence of electrically insulating and thermally unstable graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets. These nanocomposites show a low percolation threshold of ∼0.41 vol.% and high electrical conductivity of ∼0.028 S/m with only ∼1.64 vol.% of GO. Thermogravimetric analysis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results of GO before and after thermal treatment at the polymerization temperature indicate that GO was reduced in situ during the polymerization process. X-ray diffraction patterns and scanning electron microscopy observation confirm the exfoliation of the reduced graphene oxide (RGO) in the PA 6 matrix. The low percolation threshold and high electrical conductivity are attributed to the large aspect ratio, high specific surface area and uniform dispersion of the RGO nanosheets in the matrix. In addition, although GO has a poor thermal stability, its PA 6 nanocomposite is thermally stable with a satisfactory thermal stability similar to those of neat PA 6 and PA 6/graphene nanocomposite. Such a one-step in situ polymerization and thermal reduction method shows significant potential for the mass production of electrically conductive polymer/RGO nanocomposites.     

Effects of functional groups on the graphene sheet for improving the thermomechanical properties of polyurethane nanocomposites

Dispersibility of graphene sheets in polymer matrices and interfacial interaction are challenging for producing graphene-based high performance polymer nanocomposites. In this study, three kinds nanofillers; pristine graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs), graphene oxide (GO), and functionalized graphene sheet (FGS) were used to prepare polyurethane (PU) composite by in-situ polymerization. To evaluate the efficacy of functional groups on the graphene sheets, PU reinforced with GNPs, GO, and FGS were compared through tensile testing and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis. The Young's moduli of 2 wt% GO and FGS based PU nanocomposites were found significantly higher than that of same amount of GNPs loading as an evidence of the effect of functional groups on graphene sheets for the mechanical reinforcement. The strong interaction of FGS with PU was responsible to exhibit notably high modulus (25.8 MPa) of 2 wt% FGS/PU composite than the same amount of GNPs and GO loading even at elevated temperature (100 °C).     

Effect of interfacial interaction between graphene oxide derivatives and poly(vinyl chloride) upon the mechanical properties of their nanocomposites

In this work, graphene oxide (GO) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) grafted GO reduced by dopamine (rGO@PDA-g-PMMA) were employed to determine the key factor responsible for the improved mechanical properties of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC). Dopamine was utilized to reduce GO and simultaneous coating of polydopamine (PDA) on the GO surface. rGO@PDA-g-PMMA was prepared by a combination of mussel-inspired chemistry and surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization techniques. The resulting derivatives were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy. PVC nanocomposites containing GO derivatives were prepared by solution blend and the nanocomposite films were obtained using a casting method. The mechanical properties of the nanocomposites were studied using both dynamic mechanical thermal analysis and tensile testing. The results revealed that the vital components responsible for the improved mechanical properties and thermal stability of rGO@PDA-g-PMMA/PVC nanocomposites compared to pure PVC are the interfacial interactions between the GO derivatives and the PVC matrix.     

Graphene/thermoplastic polyurethane nanocomposites: Surface modification of graphene through oxidation,polyvinyl pyrrolidone coating and reduction

Herein, oxidation, polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) coating and reduction are used to modify the surface of graphene in thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU)/graphene nanocomposites. It is demonstrated that graphene could be easily dispersed in TPU with PVP absorbed on reduced graphene oxide (RGO) as stabilizer during reduction. In the stress–strain curves for these composites containing GO, PVP coated GO (GO/PVP) and reduced GO/PVP (RGO/PVP) as filler, PVP coating and reduction can largely enhance the stress in low modulus region. It is thought to largely related with enhanced interfacial interaction between filler and matrix and healing of graphene structure during reduction. Consequently, the modulus of TPU/GO/PVP and TPU/RGO/PVP is significantly increased. Meanwhile, an electrical percolation threshold of 0.35 wt.% is obtained for TPU/RGO/PVP. Comparing with the results in literature, the filler surface modification used in this study has created nanocomposites with a good balance between electrical conductivity and mechanical properties.     

Facile preparation,characterization and performance of noncovalently functionalized graphene/epoxy nanocomposites with poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate)

Graphene was noncovalently functionalized with poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS) and then successfully incorporated into the epoxy resin via in situ polymerization to form functional and structural nanocomposites. The morphology and structure of PSS modified graphene (PSS-g) were characterized with transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The effects of PSS-g additions on tensile, electrical and thermal properties of the epoxy/graphene nanocomposites were studied. Noncovalent functionalization improved interfacial bonding between the epoxy matrix and graphene, leading to enhanced tensile strength and modulus of resultant nanocomposites. The PSS-g additions also enhanced electrical properties of the epoxy/PSS-g nanocomposites, resulting in a lower percolation threshold of 1.2 wt%. Thermogravimetric and differential scanning calorimetric results showed the occurrence of a two-step decomposition process for the epoxy/PSS-g nanocomposites.     

Morphology, mechanical and thermal properties of graphene-reinforced poly(butylene succinate) nanocomposites

Graphene nanosheets (GNSs) reinforced poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) nanocomposites are facilely obtained by a solution-based processing method. Graphene nanosheets, which are derived from chemically reduced graphite oxide (GO), are characterized by AFM, TEM, XRD and Raman spectra. The state of dispersion of the GNSs in the PBS matrix is examined by SEM observations that reveals homogeneous distribution of GNSs in PBS matrix. A 21% increase in tensile strength and a 24% improvement of storage modulus are achieved by addition of 2.0 wt% of GNS. The electrical conductivity and thermal stability of the graphene-based nanocomposite are also improved. DSC measurement indicates that the presence of graphene sheets does not have a remarkable impact on the crystallinity of the nanocomposites. Therefore, the high performances of the nanocomposites are mainly attributed to the uniform dispersion of GNSs in the polymer matrix and strong interfacial interactions between both components.     

The preparation of high performance and conductive poly (vinyl alcohol)/graphene nanocomposite via reducing graphite oxide with sodium hydrosulfite

Sodium hydrosulfite is used to reduce graphite oxide in current study. The preparation of poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/graphene nanocomposites is realized using two simple steps: the synthesis of PVA/graphite oxide (GO) nanocomposites film and immersion of such a film in the reducing agent aqueous solution. This method prohibits the agglomeration of GO during direct reduction in PVA/GO aqueous solution, and opens a new way to scale up the production of graphene nanocomposites using a simple reducing agent. A 40% increase in tensile strength and 70% improvement in elongation at break have been obtained with only the addition of 0.7 wt.% of reduced graphite oxide. Furthermore, a good level of conductivity and a variation in the surface property of the prepared films have been observed for the composites containing graphene.     

Click coupled stitched graphene sheets and their polymer nanocomposites with enhanced photothermal and mechanical properties

The chemically stitched graphene oxide (GO) sheets were obtained using a click chemistry reaction between azide-functionalized GO and alkyne-functionalized GO. The click coupled GO (GO-click-GO) sheets showed the largely increased electrical conductivity and near infrared laser-induced photothermal properties compared to the GO sheets, which result from formation of triazole ring as a bridging linker between the GO sheets. The polyurethane (PU) nanocomposites incorporating the GO-click-GO sheets exhibited enhanced mechanical properties of breaking stress and modulus than the GO/PU nanocomposites. The modulus of GO-click-GO/PU nanocomposites was higher than that of the GO/PU nanocomposites at the same filler loading of 0.1 and 0.5 wt%. The GO-click-GO/PU nanocomposites also showed a significantly improved photothermal properties compared to the GO/PU nanocomposites at the same filler loading. The click coupled stitched GO sheets in this study can be used as the superior reinforcing fillers for mechanically and photothermally high performance polymer nanocomposites.     

Preparation and properties of polystyrene nanocomposites with graphite oxide and graphene as flame retardants

In this study, graphite oxides (GOs) with different oxidation degrees and graphene nanosheets were prepared by a modified Hummers method and thermal exfoliation of the prepared GO, respectively. Polystyrene (PS)/GO and PS/graphene nanocomposites were prepared via melt blending. X-ray diffraction results showed that GOs and graphene were exfoliated in the PS composites. It could be observed from the scanning electron microscope images that GOs and graphene were well dispersed throughout the matrix without obvious aggregates. Dynamic mechanical thermal analysis suggested that the storage modulus for the PS/GO1 and PS/graphene nanocomposites was efficiently improved due to the low oxygen content of GO1 and the elimination of the oxygen groups from GO. The flammability of nanocomposites was evaluated by thermal gravimetric analysis and cone calorimetry. The results suggested that both the thermal stability and the reduction in peak heat release rate (PHRR) decreased with the increasing of the oxygen groups in GOs or graphene. The optimal flammability was obtained with the graphene (5 wt%), in which case the reduction in the PHRR is almost 50 % as compared to PS.     

Influence of hexamethylene diamine functionalized graphene oxide on the melt crystallization and properties of polypropylene nanocomposites

Hexamethylene diamine was chemically grafted to the graphene oxide (GO) surface via two type of reactions viz. (i) amidation reaction between amine groups and carboxylic acid sites of GO and (ii) nucleophilic substitution reactions between amine and epoxy groups on surface. Successful grafting of HMDA on GO surface was confirmed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermogravimetric results (TGA). These chemically modified GO (AGO) with varying loading amount were incorporated in polypropylene matrix in the presence of maleic anhydride-g-polypropylene (PP-g-MA) compatibilizer through melt processing technique. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) studies revealed that the loading of AGO resulted in the improvement in crystallization characteristics of polypropylene. Owing to the strong interfacial interactions between AGO and polymer, significant enhancement in mechanical and electrical properties was observed, when compared to pristine GO filled polypropylene composites.     

Graphite oxide/poly(methyl methacrylate) nanocomposites prepared by a novel method utilizing macroazoinitiator

Graphite oxide (GO)/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) nanocomposites were prepared by a novel method utilizing macroazoinitiator (MAI). The MAI, which has a poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) segment, was intercalated between the lamellae of GO to induce the inter-gallery polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and exfoliate the GO. The morphological, conductivity, thermal, mechanical and rheological properties of these nanocomposites were examined and compared with those of intercalated nanocomposites prepared by polymerization with the normal radical initiator, 2,2′-azobisisobutyronitrile. The improvement in conductivity by GO was more evident in exfoliated nanocomposites compared to that of intercalated nanocomposites. For example, a conductivity of 1.78 × 10⁻⁷ S/cm was attained in the exfoliated nanocomposite prepared with 2.5 parts GO per 100 parts MMA, which was about 50-fold higher than that of the intercalated nanocomposite. The thermal, mechanical and rheological properties also indicate that thin GO with a high aspect ratio is finely dispersed and effectively reinforced the PMMA matrix in both exfoliated and intercalated nanocomposites.     

Functionalized graphene sheets filled isotactic polypropylene nanocomposites

The graphene oxide sheets (GOs) reacted with 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) and then stearic acid to form the functionalized graphene sheets (FGs), in order to improve their compatibility with isotactic polypropylene (iPP). The iPP incorporated with FGs were adequately mixed in a Haaker mixer and then compression molded to obtain the iPP/FGs nanocomposites. The crystallization, thermal stability and mechanical properties of the nanocomposites together with iPP/graphite sheets (Gs) and iPP/GOs composites were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and tensile test. The FGs achieved good dispersion with exfoliated and intercalated nanostructure and strong interfacial adhesion with iPP, which made the nanocomposites have a significant enhancement of thermal stability and mechanical properties at low FGs loadings.     

In situ synthesis and thermal,tribological properties of thermosetting polyimide/graphene oxide nanocomposites

The full exfoliation graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets were synthesized by an improved Hummers’ method. The phenylethynyl terminated thermosetting polyimide (PI) and PI/GO nanocomposites were prepared via a polymerization of monomer reactants process. Thermogravimetric analysis indicated that the incorporation of GO increased the thermal stability of the PI at low filling content. The friction and wear testing results of the PI and PI/GO nanocomposites under dry sliding condition against GCr15 steel showed that the addition of GO evidently improved the friction and wear properties of PI, which were considered to be the result of the formation of uniform transfer film and the increasing of load-carrying capacity. The friction and wear properties of the PI and PI/GO nanocomposites were investigated on a model ring-on-block test rig under dry sliding conditions against the GCr15 steel. Experimental results showed that the addition of GO evidently improved the friction and wear properties of PI, which were considered to be the result of the formation of uniform transfer film and the increasing of load-carrying capacity. The optimum GO content of nanocomposite for tribological properties is 3 wt%, which could be a potential candidate for tribo-material under dry sliding condition against GCr15 steel.     

Highly aligned,ultralarge-size reduced graphene oxide/polyurethane nanocomposites: Mechanical properties and moisture permeability

Polyurethane (PU) nanocomposite films containing highly-aligned graphene sheets are produced. Aqueous dispersion of ultralarge-size graphene oxide (GO) is in situ reduced in waterborne polyurethane, resulting in fine dispersion and high degree of orientation of graphene sheets, especially at high graphene contents. The PU/reduced GO nanocomposites present remarkable 21- and 9-fold increases in tensile modulus and strength, respectively, with 3 wt.% graphene content. The agreement between the experiments and theoretical predictions for tensile modulus proves that the graphene sheets are indeed dispersed individually on the molecular scale and oriented in the polymer matrix to form a layered structure. The moisture permeability of the nanocomposites presents a systematic decrease with increasing graphene content, clearly indicating the impermeable graphene sheets acting as moisture barrier. The synergy arising from the very high aspect ratio and horizontal alignment of the graphene sheets is responsible for this finding.     

Modification of graphene oxide via photo-initiated grafting polymerization

In this paper, we report on an effective surface modification method for the functionalization of graphene oxide (GO) via photo-initiated radical polymerization. Two cases are investigated, i.e., photoinitiators are chemically attached on GO or are just mixed with GO. The monomer used for surface graft is water-soluble 2-(dimethylamino) ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA). Analysis based on Fourier transform infrared spectra, Raman spectra, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and element analysis demonstrates that PDMAEMA chains are successfully grafted onto GO surface in both cases. In addition, we study the effects of UV irradiation energy and the concentration of initiators on the polymerization. Both UV irradiation energy and the concentration of initiators do not have significant effects on the grafting degree; however, the concentrations of the initiators have impact on the length of the polymer chains grafted onto GO in the case of mixed photoinitiators with GO. The chain length of polymer is shorter with the higher photoinitiator concentration.     

Highly conductive graphene oxide/polyaniline hybrid polymer nanocomposites with simultaneously improved mechanical properties

Graphene oxide (GO) was added to a polymer composites system consisting of surfactant-wrapped/doped polyaniline (PANI) and divinylbenzene (DVB). The nanocomposites were fabricated by a simple blending, ultrasonic dispersion and curing process. The new composites show higher conductivity (0.02–9.8 S/cm) than the other reported polymer system filled with PANI (10⁻⁹–10⁻¹ S/cm). With only 0.45 wt% loading of GO, at least 29% enhancement in electric conductivity and 29.8% increase in bending modulus of the composites were gained. Besides, thermal stability of the composites was also improved. UV–Vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that addition of GO improves the dispersion of PANI in the polymer composite, which is the key to realize high conductivity.     

Enhanced thermal resistance of phenolic resin composites at low loading of graphene oxide

By incorporating graphene oxide (GO) into phenolic resin (PR), GO/PR composites were prepared, and the effects of the content and reduction degree of GO on thermal resistance of GO/PR composites were studied. The peak degradation temperature of the PR was increased by about 14 °C with GO which was heat treated. The char yield of GO/PR composite at a GO weight fraction of 0.5% was about 11% greater than that of PR. The interactions such as covalent bonds and π–π stacking between GO and PR were regarded as the main reason for the enhancement. Located at the GO–PR interface, GO effectively anchored and structured PR molecular near the surfaces of GO sheets, and thus facilitated the formation of char. The superiority of GO/PR composites over PR in terms of thermal properties enhancement should also be related to the promoting graphitization by the addition of GO.     

低温剥离法制备高性能石墨烯/ZnO复合材料

采用氧化石墨和七水合硫酸锌作为初始反应物, 在低温下(80℃)合成了氧化石墨/ZnO, 然后通过低温剥离法制备了高质量石墨烯/ZnO (GNS/ZnO)复合材料. 采用X射线衍射(XRD)、傅里叶变换红外(FTIR)光谱、热重分析仪(TG)、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)、拉曼光谱(RS)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)和透射电子显微镜(TEM)等分析手段对石墨烯/ZnO样品进行了表征. 结果表明: 氧化石墨还原彻底, 纳米ZnO成功地负载到了石墨烯上, 有效地减少了石墨烯片层间的团聚现象. 通过对ZnO和石墨烯/ZnO荧光性能测试, 结果表明: 石墨烯/ZnO发生了荧光淬灭现象, 在光电子领域拥有广阔的应用前景.     

Preparation and properties of novel epoxy/graphene oxide nanosheets (GON) composites functionalized with flame retardant containing phosphorus and silicon

2-(Diphenylphosphino)ethyltriethoxy silane (DPPES) was grafted onto the surface of graphene oxide nanosheets (GON) via a condensation reaction. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy verify that DPPES did not only covalently bond to GON as a functionalization moiety, but partly restored its conjugated structure as a reducing agent. DPPES on graphene sheets oxide was observed by transmission electron microscopy, and contributed to the favorable dispersion of DPPES-GON in nonpolar toluene. Additionally, the flame retardancy and thermal stability of epoxy/DPPES-GON nanocomposites that contain various weight fractions of DPPES-GON were studied using the limiting oxygen index test, UL-94 test and by thermogravimetric analysis in nitrogen. The composites containing 10 wt% DPPES-GON can pass V-0 rating in UL-94 test. Adding 10 wt% DPPES-GON in epoxy greatly increased the char yield and LOI by 42% and 80%, respectively. Epoxy/DPPES-GON nanocomposites with phosphorus, silicon and graphene layer structures were found to exhibit much greater flame retardancy than neat epoxy. The synergistic effects among silicon, phosphorus and GON can improve the flame retardancy of epoxy resin.     

氧化锡粒子/石墨烯纳米复合材料真空热还原制备及其在近红外胰腺癌热疗中的应用

利用真空热还原法制备得到氧化锡粒子/石墨烯纳米复合材料(SnO2/GR),该过程中,石墨烯氧化物原料既是氧化锡粒子的有效载体来源,也是新型的活泼氧给体,可同步将零价锡氧化为正四价锡,石墨烯氧化物原料则被还原为石墨烯。利用透射电镜(TEM)、扫描电镜(SEM)、X射线衍射(XRD)和傅里叶变换红外光谱等分别对氧化锡粒子/石墨烯纳米复合材料的形貌和尺寸、结构进行了表征。利用该新型材料在近红外(NIR)激光照射下的强光热转化性能,使相比健康细胞更易受到温度影响的胰腺肿瘤细胞内部产生过高热(Hyperthermia),从而诱导胰腺肿瘤细胞热损伤及细胞凋亡。实验结果表明,在1064nm近红外激光照射下,对照组胰腺肿瘤细胞仍保持较高活性,而实验组的胰腺肿瘤细胞活力则大幅降至5.03%,充分显示了氧化锡粒子/石墨烯纳米复合材料在胰腺肿瘤热疗领域的潜力。