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Preparation of chitosan–graphene nanosheet composites with enhanced electrochemical and mechanical properties
Author(s) -
Wu Guangyu,
Huang Jianguo,
Li Weidong
Publication year - 2017
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.45104
Subject(s) - graphite , nanosheet , materials science , graphene , chitosan , composite material , intercalation (chemistry) , scanning electron microscope , transmission electron microscopy , electrochemistry , nanocomposite , elastic modulus , chemical engineering , nanotechnology , chemistry , organic chemistry , electrode , engineering
ABSTRACT In this study, we proposed an alternative way to produce graphene nanosheet (GNS)/chitosan (CS) composites. Graphite‐intercalating compounds (GICs) were prepared by graphite and m ‐chloroperbenzion acid (M‐CPBA) as starting materials. The GNS–CS composites were produced through the mixing of the GICs into CS and the removal of impurities in the final step. X‐ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, and transmission and scanning electron microscopy analyses showed that graphite could be effectively exfoliated by an intercalating agent (M‐CPBA) and the GNSs were homogeneously dispersed into the CS matrix. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the electrochemical behavior and mechanical properties of the GNS–CS composites were significantly improved with a low level of GNSs in CS. The redox peak current increased 509%, and the modulus and hardness of the GNS–CS composites increased by 2.7 and 0.15 GPa, respectively, when the GNSs addition was 0.6 wt %. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134 , 45104.