Grafting from versus Grafting to Approaches for the Functionalization of Graphene Nanoplatelets with Poly(methyl methacrylate)

Noelia Rubio, Heather Au, Hannah S. Leese, Sheng Hu, Adam J. Clancy, Milo Shaffer

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

63 Citations (SciVal)
134 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) were exfoliated using a nondestructive chemical reduction method and subsequently decorated with polymers using two different approaches: grafting from and grafting to. Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) with varying molecular weights was covalently attached to the GNP layers using both methods. The grafting ratios were higher (44.6% to 126.5%) for the grafting from approach compared to the grafting to approach (12.6% to 20.3%). The products were characterized using thermogravimetric analysis–mass spectrometry (TGA-MS), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The grafting from products showed an increase in the grafting ratio and dispersibility in acetone with increasing monomer supply; on the other hand, due to steric effects, the grafting to products showed lower absolute grafting ratios and a decreasing trend with increasing polymer molecular weight. The excellent dispersibility of the grafting from functionalized graphene, 900 μg/mL in acetone, indicates an increased compatibility with the solvent and the potential to increase graphene reinforcement performance in nanocomposite applications.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)7070-7079
Number of pages10
JournalMacromolecules
Volume50
Issue number18
Early online date14 Sept 2017
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Sept 2017

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Grafting from versus Grafting to Approaches for the Functionalization of Graphene Nanoplatelets with Poly(methyl methacrylate)'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this