Abstract
In this study, an imidazole-functionalized graphene (G-IMD) was prepared from graphene oxide by a facile one-pot method. The functionalized graphene not only showed improved organic compatibility but also could simultaneously play the roles of a cure accelerator and reinforcement for anhydride-cured epoxies. Our results showed that G-IMD could successfully catalyze the curing reaction without the addition of any routine accelerator. Thermal and mechanical properties of the epoxy-G-IMD nanocomposites were systematically studied at different filler loadings. Compared with neat epoxy resin, tensile strength and Young's modulus of the nanocomposites were enhanced by 97% and 12%, respectively, at only 0.4 wt% G-IMD loading. Dynamic mechanical analysis and electron microscopic results revealed that the drastic improvements in mechanical properties could be attributed to the homogeneous dispersion of G-IMD and covalent bonding at the interface, which effectively improved the efficiency of load transfer between the matrix and graphene.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 18395-18402 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Journal of Materials Chemistry |
| Volume | 22 |
| Issue number | 35 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Sept 21 2012 |
| Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus Subject Areas
- General Chemistry
- Materials Chemistry