In this article, we describe the fabrication by melt mixing of graphene-polypropylene nanocomposites and present the effect of graphene addition on some selected properties of polypropylene (PP). The graphene nanosheets (GNs) used as nano-reinforcing agents were obtained through chemical reduction of graphene oxide by hydrazine hydrate. GNs were characterized and successfully dispersed into PP matrix to produce PP/GNs nanocomposites. The effects of GNs content on thermal, mechanical, and rheological properties were reported, and the obtained results were discussed in terms of morphology and state of dispersion and distribution of the GNs within the polymer matrix. Characterization by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction of the nanocomposites has shown a relatively good dispersion of GNs in the polymer matrix, with the presence of only few aggregates. Increasing GNs content resulted in a significant increase in both mechanical and thermal properties with only few percent of GNs loading. Rheological behavior of the PP/GNs nanocomposites showed a Maxwellian-like behavior for low GNs concentrations and a viscoelastic solid-like behavior for GNs content exceeding the concentration of the percolation threshold. POLYM. COMPOS., 2012. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers

Mechanical, thermal, and rheological properties of graphene-based polypropylene nanocomposites prepared by melt mixing

Processing and properties of polyethylene reinforced by graphene nanosheets and carbon nanotubes

Purpose: A simple, one-pot strategy was used to synthesize reduced graphene oxide (RGO) nanosheets by utilizing an easily available over-the-counter medicinal and edible mushroom, Ganoderma lucidum. Methods: The mushroom was boiled in hot water to liberate the polysaccharides, the extract of which was then used directly for the reduction of graphene oxide. The abundance of polysaccharides present in the mushroom serves as a good reducing agent. The proposed strategy evades the use of harmful and expensive chemicals and avoids the typical tedious reaction methods. Results: More importantly, the mushroom extract can be easily separated from the product without generating any residual byproducts and can be reused at least three times with good conversion efficiency (75%). It was readily dispersible in water without the need of ultrasonica tion or any surfactants; whereas 5 minutes of ultrasonication with various solvents produced RGO which was stable for the tested period of 1 year. Based on electrochemical measurements, the followed method did not jeopardize RGO’s electrical conductivity. Moreover, the obtained RGO was highly biocompatible to not only colon (HT-29) and brain (U87MG) cancer cells, but was also viable towards normal cells (MRC-5). Conclusion: Besides being eco-friendly, this mushroom based approach is easily scalable and demonstrates remarkable RGO stability and biocompatibility, even without any form of

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Exceedingly biocompatible and thin-layered reduced graphene oxide nanosheets using an eco-friendly mushroom extract strategy

A green approach for the reduction of graphene oxide nanosheets using non-aromatic amino acids

Easy preparation of ultrathin reduced graphene oxide sheets at a high stirring speed

In this paper, we focus on the reducibility of graphene oxide by hydrazine hydrate. The main emphasis is placed on the problem of the dosage of hydrazine hydrate and the reaction time on the reduction of chemical groups. This paper describes a system for the analysis of FT-IR. A model is developed for the FT-IR analysis using exponential decay function (Y=Y0e−RX). The height of the peaks in FT-IR spectra of the chemical groups was fitted with exponential decay function. Decay constant R is given the name of Reducibility Factor R. Emphasis is placed on the decay constant R in the fitting functions by which the reducibility of the chemical groups on graphene oxide is evaluated. It is found that R is different for different chemical groups. The sequence is ROH>RC=O>RC−O−C. This means that C−O−C is the most difficult one to be reduced, OH is the most easy, and C=O is between C−O−C and OH. The experimental results reveal a basis for the research of the application of graphene oxide.

Dong Zhang

Papers

Experimental study on the reducibility of graphene oxide by hydrazine hydrate