Benzoxazine-functionalized graphene oxide for synthesis of new nanocomposites

•New route to prepare nanocomposites based on benzoxazine and graphene oxide is proposed.•The original idea was to grow benzoxazine rings directly onto the graphene oxide surface.•Two functionalization methods of graphene oxide were employed.•Polymerization of benzoxazine rings from the graphene oxide surface leads to exfoliated nanocomposites.

The new approach was to grow benzoxazine rings on graphene oxide chemically modified. This paper describes the preparation of benzoxazine-functionalized graphene oxide using the activation of the carboxylic groups from graphene oxide (GO) surface by 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-carbodiimide/N-Hydroxysuccinimide system (EDC/NHS) and the chlorination method employing SOCl2 respectively. The carboxylic groups from GO surface were treated with tyramine for synthesizing the hydroxyl groups that will further react with benzylamine and formaldehyde in order to form the benzoxazine rings. Finally a nano structure with strong covalent bonds between the graphene sheets and the polybenzoxazine chains was achieved. The formation of multi-benzoxazine functionalized graphene oxide was checked by FT-IR, 1HNMR, TGA, Raman spectrometry, XRD, HR-TEM and XPS analysis.

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