A supramolecular approach toward organo-dispersible graphene and its straightforward polymer nanocomposites

Highly dispersible graphene nanosheets were straightforwardly synthesized by in situ reduction in the presence of hydroxyl-functionalized imidazolium ionic liquids as a supramolecular template. Therefrom, a biodegradable poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL)/graphene nanocomposite was prepared via a grafting-from'' approach based on the hydroxyl functionalities available from as-modified graphene nanosheets. The work opens up a path for a wide range of strategies in the fabrication of graphene/polymer nanocomposites.