Letter abstract
Nature Nanotechnology 3, 327 - 331 (2008)
Published online: 11 May 2008 | doi:10.1038/nnano.2008.96
Subject Categories: Nanomaterials | Structural properties
Functionalized graphene sheets for polymer nanocomposites
T. Ramanathan1, A. A. Abdala2,7, S. Stankovich3, D. A. Dikin1, M. Herrera-Alonso2, R. D. Piner1,6, D. H. Adamson4, H. C. Schniepp2, X. Chen1, R. S. Ruoff1,6, S. T. Nguyen3, I. A. Aksay2, R. K. Prud'Homme2 & L. C. Brinson1,5
Abstract
Polymer-based composites were heralded in the 1960s as a new paradigm for materials. By dispersing strong, highly stiff fibres in a polymer matrix, high-performance lightweight composites could be developed and tailored to individual applications1. Today we stand at a similar threshold in the realm of polymer nanocomposites with the promise of strong, durable, multifunctional materials with low nanofiller content2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. However, the cost of nanoparticles, their availability and the challenges that remain to achieve good dispersion pose significant obstacles to these goals. Here, we report the creation of polymer nanocomposites with functionalized graphene sheets, which overcome these obstacles and provide superb polymer–particle interactions. An unprecedented shift in glass transition temperature of over 40 °C is obtained for poly(acrylonitrile) at 1 wt% functionalized graphene sheet, and with only 0.05 wt% functionalized graphene sheet in poly(methyl methacrylate) there is an improvement of nearly 30 °C. Modulus, ultimate strength and thermal stability follow a similar trend, with values for functionalized graphene sheet– poly(methyl methacrylate) rivaling those for single-walled carbon nanotube–poly(methyl methacrylate) composites.
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA
- Princeton Institute for the Science and Technology of Materials, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA
- Present Address: Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712-0292, USA
- Present Address: Chemical Engineering Program, The Petroleum Institute, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Correspondence to: L. C. Brinson1,5 e-mail: cbrinson@northwestern.edu
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