Abstract
Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) is known to be electrically conductive and adsorb at oil-water interfaces. It has also been shown to mechanically reinforce bulk materials. This work combines these favourable characteristics of two-dimensional rGO to develop 3D macroporous polymer nanocomposites via emulsion templating. rGO proved to be an efficient emulsifier as only 0.2 mg/ml (with respect to the oil phase) of rGO was required to stabilise water-in-oil high internal phase emulsions (HIPE) of up to 80 vol.% internal phase. After polymerisation of the continuous minority monomer (styrene and divinylbenzene) phase, macroporous polymer nanocomposites with tuneable microstructures were obtained. The storage modulus of rGO-poly(styrene-co-divinylbenzene) HIPEs increased by almost an order of magnitude when the rGO concentration used to stabilise the HIPE template increased from 0.4 to 5.0 mg/ml. The adsorption and organisation of rGO at the o/w interface in HIPEs prior to polymerisation and partial aggregation in the polymer cell walls after polymerisation resulted in conductive nanocomposites with a rGO content of as low as 0.006 vol.% (with respect to bulk polymer volume or 0.8 mg/ml with respect to the monomer volume used in the emulsion template) compared to 0.1 vol.% for dense nanocomposites previously reported. This provided evidence for the efficient arrangement of rGO within the macroporous polymer nanocomposite, creating an electrically conductive network.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 395-402 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Polymer |
| Volume | 55 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Jan 14 2014 |
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Keywords
- Chemically modified graphene
- Macroporous polymers
- Nanocomposites
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Organic Chemistry
- Polymers and Plastics
Cite this
Macroporous polymer nanocomposites synthesised from high internal phase emulsion templates stabilised by reduced graphene oxide. / Wong, Ling L Ching; Barg, Suelen; Menner, Angelika; Do Vale Pereira, Paula; Eda, Goki; Chhowalla, Manish; Saiz, Eduardo; Bismarck, Alexander.
In: Polymer, Vol. 55, No. 1, 14.01.2014, p. 395-402.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Macroporous polymer nanocomposites synthesised from high internal phase emulsion templates stabilised by reduced graphene oxide
AU - Wong, Ling L Ching
AU - Barg, Suelen
AU - Menner, Angelika
AU - Do Vale Pereira, Paula
AU - Eda, Goki
AU - Chhowalla, Manish
AU - Saiz, Eduardo
AU - Bismarck, Alexander
PY - 2014/1/14
Y1 - 2014/1/14
N2 - Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) is known to be electrically conductive and adsorb at oil-water interfaces. It has also been shown to mechanically reinforce bulk materials. This work combines these favourable characteristics of two-dimensional rGO to develop 3D macroporous polymer nanocomposites via emulsion templating. rGO proved to be an efficient emulsifier as only 0.2 mg/ml (with respect to the oil phase) of rGO was required to stabilise water-in-oil high internal phase emulsions (HIPE) of up to 80 vol.% internal phase. After polymerisation of the continuous minority monomer (styrene and divinylbenzene) phase, macroporous polymer nanocomposites with tuneable microstructures were obtained. The storage modulus of rGO-poly(styrene-co-divinylbenzene) HIPEs increased by almost an order of magnitude when the rGO concentration used to stabilise the HIPE template increased from 0.4 to 5.0 mg/ml. The adsorption and organisation of rGO at the o/w interface in HIPEs prior to polymerisation and partial aggregation in the polymer cell walls after polymerisation resulted in conductive nanocomposites with a rGO content of as low as 0.006 vol.% (with respect to bulk polymer volume or 0.8 mg/ml with respect to the monomer volume used in the emulsion template) compared to 0.1 vol.% for dense nanocomposites previously reported. This provided evidence for the efficient arrangement of rGO within the macroporous polymer nanocomposite, creating an electrically conductive network.
AB - Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) is known to be electrically conductive and adsorb at oil-water interfaces. It has also been shown to mechanically reinforce bulk materials. This work combines these favourable characteristics of two-dimensional rGO to develop 3D macroporous polymer nanocomposites via emulsion templating. rGO proved to be an efficient emulsifier as only 0.2 mg/ml (with respect to the oil phase) of rGO was required to stabilise water-in-oil high internal phase emulsions (HIPE) of up to 80 vol.% internal phase. After polymerisation of the continuous minority monomer (styrene and divinylbenzene) phase, macroporous polymer nanocomposites with tuneable microstructures were obtained. The storage modulus of rGO-poly(styrene-co-divinylbenzene) HIPEs increased by almost an order of magnitude when the rGO concentration used to stabilise the HIPE template increased from 0.4 to 5.0 mg/ml. The adsorption and organisation of rGO at the o/w interface in HIPEs prior to polymerisation and partial aggregation in the polymer cell walls after polymerisation resulted in conductive nanocomposites with a rGO content of as low as 0.006 vol.% (with respect to bulk polymer volume or 0.8 mg/ml with respect to the monomer volume used in the emulsion template) compared to 0.1 vol.% for dense nanocomposites previously reported. This provided evidence for the efficient arrangement of rGO within the macroporous polymer nanocomposite, creating an electrically conductive network.
KW - Chemically modified graphene
KW - Macroporous polymers
KW - Nanocomposites
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84891833090&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84891833090&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.polymer.2013.09.039
DO - 10.1016/j.polymer.2013.09.039
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84891833090
VL - 55
SP - 395
EP - 402
JO - Polymer
JF - Polymer
SN - 0032-3861
IS - 1
ER -