PREPARATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF GRAPHENE OXIDE SHEETS CONTROLLABLY GRAFTED WITH PMMA BRUSHES VIA SURFACE–INITIATED ATRP

1,2 CVEK Martin
Co-authors:
1 MRLIK Miroslav 3 ILCIKOVA Marketa 3 MOSNACEK Jaroslav 1 PAVLINEK Vladimir
Institutions:
1 Centre of Polymer Systems, University Institute, Tomas Bata University in Zlin, Trida T. Bati 5678, 760 01 Zlin, Czech Republic, EU; *cvek@cps.utb.cz
2 Polymer Centre, Faculty of Technology, Tomas Bata University in Zlin, Vavreckova 275, 762 02 Zlin, Czech Republic, EU
3 Polymer Institute, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 9, 845 41 Bratislava 45, Slovakia, EU
Conference:
8th International Conference on Nanomaterials - Research & Application, Hotel Voronez I, Brno, Czech Republic, EU, October 19th - 21st 2016
Proceedings:
Proceedings 8th International Conference on Nanomaterials - Research & Application
Pages:
116-121
ISBN:
978-80-87294-71-0
ISSN:
2694-930X
Published:
17th March 2017
Proceedings of the conference were published in Web of Science and Scopus.
Metrics:
633 views / 349 downloads
Abstract

Recently, graphene oxide (GO) has gained significant attention in many applications, such as touch displays, electronic devices or electrorheological fluids. However, neat GO is hydrophilic, which limits its efficiency in hydrophobic media, e.g. polymer matrices, oil carriers. Therefore, the utilization of GO–coated core–shell structures was proven to be advantageous. In this study, GO sheets were prepared by chemical exfoliation of graphite using modified Hummers method. The specific ATRP initiator, bromoisobutyryl bromide, was covalently immobilized onto as–prepared GO through oxygen–functional hydrophilic groups. Initiator–treated GO sheets were further grafted with poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) via surface–initiated ATRP technique. The monomer conversion, molar mass and polydispersity of PMMA chains were investigated using nuclear magnetic resonance and gel permeation chromatography, respectively. The successful grafting process was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Raman spectroscopy and electric conductivity measurements revealed significant chemical reduction of GO during surface–initiated ATRP. Synthesized GO/PMMA structures exhibited considerably enhanced wettability in hydrophobic media, which was proved via contact angle measurements. Therefore, the synthesized GO/PMMA hybrids may found utilization in many aforementioned practical applications providing well–dispersed composite systems.

Keywords: graphene, surface modification, atom transfer radical polymerization, poly(methyl methacrylate)

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