Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
7215087 | Composites Science and Technology | 2016 | 19 Pages |
Abstract
Improving the dispersion of graphene nanosheets (GN) in a polymer matrix is a critical step in lowering the percolation threshold of nanocomposites. In this paper, an effective method based on an electrostatic assembly process is reported. Polystyrene (PS) latex was first prepared by using hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) as a cationic surfactant, which created positive charges on the surface of the PS micelles. An in situ demulsification process was then conducted by adding negatively charged graphene oxide (GO) particles into the positively charged PS latex. Thus, GO sheets were attached spontaneously to the surfaces of PS particles through electrostatic adsorption. Followed by in situ reduction and hot pressing, the agglomeration of GN was largely prohibited by the PS microspheres and facilitated the formation of GN networks in the PS matrix. The obtained PS/GN nanocomposites exhibited excellent electrical properties with a percolation threshold as low as 0.054Â vol.% GN. When the GN content reached 1.53Â vol.%, the electrical conductivity was 46.32Â S/m and the thermal conductivity 0.47Â W/mk. This strategy represents a new environment-friendly pathway, which is also applicable for other polymer matrices, for large-scale production of polymer composites with fully interconnected graphene networks at ultra-low GN content.
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Authors
Zhaokang Tu, Jiang Wang, Changjiang Yu, Hanwen Xiao, Tao Jiang, Yingkui Yang, Dean Shi, Yiu-Wing Mai, Robert K.Y. Li,