Issue 10, 2013

Grafting of copolymers onto graphene by miniemulsion polymerization for conductive polymer composites: improved electrical conductivity and compatibility induced by interfacial distribution of graphene

Abstract

A facile and general method to covalently functionalize graphene oxide (GO) with copolymers, using poly(styrene-co-methylmethacrylate) (P(St-co-MMA)) as an example, via miniemulsion polymerization is described in this study. After in situ reduction, insulating GO is converted to conductive reduced-graphene oxide (RGO). P(St-co-MMA) grafted RGO as conducting filler was incorporated into immiscible polystyrene (PS)/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) blend to prepare conductive polymer composites (CPCs). The lowest percolation threshold (0.02 vol%) among all the reported values for graphene-filled CPCs was achieved due to the controllable preferential distribution of the modified RGO at the interfacial region between PS and PMMA phases, attributed to P(St-co-MMA) grafted on the surface of RGO behaving as compatibilizers to improve interfacial interactions with both the two phases. Moreover, P(St-co-MMA) grafting modified RGO could obviously enhance the compatibility reflected by a significant reduction of the size of dispersed phase, for an example, by nearly one order of magnitude for PS/PMMA (4/1 in volume) blends.

Graphical abstract: Grafting of copolymers onto graphene by miniemulsion polymerization for conductive polymer composites: improved electrical conductivity and compatibility induced by interfacial distribution of graphene

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Communication
Submitted
31 Jan 2013
Accepted
22 Mar 2013
First published
25 Mar 2013

Polym. Chem., 2013,4, 2939-2944

Grafting of copolymers onto graphene by miniemulsion polymerization for conductive polymer composites: improved electrical conductivity and compatibility induced by interfacial distribution of graphene

Y. Tan, L. Fang, J. Xiao, Y. Song and Q. Zheng, Polym. Chem., 2013, 4, 2939 DOI: 10.1039/C3PY00164D

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