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Preparation and characterization of graphene/poly(vinyl alcohol) nanocomposites
Author(s) -
Jiang Lei,
Shen XiaoPing,
Wu JiLi,
Shen KeCheng
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
journal of applied polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.575
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-4628
pISSN - 0021-8995
DOI - 10.1002/app.32278
Subject(s) - vinyl alcohol , nanocomposite , materials science , graphene , exfoliation joint , crystallinity , graphite oxide , differential scanning calorimetry , oxide , thermal stability , fourier transform infrared spectroscopy , thermogravimetry , graphite , chemical engineering , composite material , polymer chemistry , polymer , nanotechnology , physics , engineering , metallurgy , thermodynamics
Graphene (GE)‐based nanocomposites are emerging as a new class of materials that hold promise for many applications. In this article, we present a general approach for the preparation of GE/poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) nanocomposites. The basic strategy involved the preparation of graphite oxide from graphite, complete exfoliation of graphite oxide into graphene oxide sheets, followed by reduction to GE nanosheets, and finally, the preparation of the GE/PVA nanocomposites by a simple solution‐mixing method. The synthesized products were characterized by X‐ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetry, and differential scanning calorimetry analysis. The GE nanosheets were well dispersed in the PVA matrix, and the restacking of the GE sheets was effectively prevented. Because of the strong interfacial interaction between PVA and GE, which mainly resulted from the hydrogen‐bond interaction, together with the improvement in the PVA crystallinity, the mechanical properties and thermal stability of the nanocomposites were obviously improved. The tensile strength was increased from 23 MPa for PVA to 49.5 MPa for the nanocomposite with a 3.25 wt % GE loading. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010