Reinforcing effects of adding alkylated graphene oxide to polypropylene

This study examined the reinforcing effects of alkylated graphene oxide (AGO) on a non-polar polypropylene (PP) matrix, and compared these effects with those of one-dimensional carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The surface of graphene oxide was modified with a linear alkyl chain via a bimolecular nucleophilic substitution reaction between the oxygen groups of GO and the reactants to promote the homogeneous dispersion of GO in an organic solvent and increase the interfacial adhesion between the GO and non-polar polymer matrix. The thermal degradation temperatures (TDTs), re-crystallization temperatures and Young's modulus of PP were increased by the incorporation of AGO. In particular, the TDTs were increased by more than 33 degrees C with the addition of 1 wt% AGO to PP. The addition of only 0.1 wt% AGO increased the Young's modulus of the PP by more than 70%. These reinforcing effects of AGO were different from those of the one-dimensional alkylated CNTs. These superior reinforcing effects were attributed to the two-dimensional structure of AGO as well as the good interfacial adhesion between the AGO and PP matrix. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.