Issue 109, 2015

Colloidal stabilization of graphene sheets by ionizable amphiphilic block copolymers in various media

Abstract

In this work, linear polystyrene–poly(2-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P2VP) and heteroarm star PS22P2VP22 ionizable block copolymers were used as dispersing agents for the liquid-phase exfoliation of pristine graphene. Various strategies such as direct exfoliation, film hydration and phase transfer have been employed and compared. The best strategy involved a two-step process, namely, pre-exfoliation of graphite in polymer/CHCl3 solutions followed by phase transfer to acidified water. High concentrations of stable aqueous suspensions of graphene flakes, highly enriched in monolayer structures, were then obtained by using the star-shaped copolymers as stabilizers. The as-prepared graphene/copolymer hybrids were used as a filler material in order to prepare functional polymer composites for mechanical reinforcement. Such copolymer-modified graphene sheets have proven to be efficient reinforcing agents of PVA, as a significant increase of storage modulus (145% higher than that of neat PVA) was achieved even at a low graphene weight fraction of 0.1 wt%.

Graphical abstract: Colloidal stabilization of graphene sheets by ionizable amphiphilic block copolymers in various media

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
03 Sep 2015
Accepted
14 Oct 2015
First published
14 Oct 2015

RSC Adv., 2015,5, 89447-89460

Author version available

Colloidal stabilization of graphene sheets by ionizable amphiphilic block copolymers in various media

M. Popescu, D. Tasis, K. D. Papadimitriou, S. Gkermpoura, C. Galiotis and C. Tsitsilianis, RSC Adv., 2015, 5, 89447 DOI: 10.1039/C5RA17916E

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