Interfacial Engineering for Low-Density Graphene Nanocomposites.

摘要

Over the course of this award, the PI and his group developed a variety of novel techniques for the dispersion of pristine graphene in both aqueous and polar organic solvents. These advances focused on the use of polymeric (polyvinylpyrrolidone) and polyaromatic hydrocarbon (pyrene) dispersants which non-covalently bind to graphene and prevent graphene aggregation. Increases in thermal conductivity were observed for these fluids. Such dispersions were also stable against drying, indicating that graphene- graphene stacking was impeded by the dispersants. Building on this foundation, the PI and group investigated several new platforms for graphene-based materials. They examined the use of graphene in polymer nanocomposites, including epoxy films and poly vinyl alcohol films and electrospun fibers. The addition of pristine graphene showed substantial increases in strength and modulus at low graphene loading.