Enhanced Crystallization Properties of Poly(lactic acid) Nanocomposites Assisted by Poly(amidoamine) Functionalized Graphene Oxide

The incorporation of graphene oxide (GO) into poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is attracting a great deal of research interest regarding improvement of general crystallization and mechanical properties. Herein, the preparation of poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers functionalized graphene oxide (PAMAM-GO)/PLA composites is described. PAMAM-GO was successfully performed by in situ polymerization and was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), FT-IR, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Raman spectroscopy. The polarized optical microscope (POM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) observations demonstrated that, in comparison with the case of neat PLA or PLA filled with pristine GO, PAMAM-GO case acted as a nucleating agent to remarkably enhance crystallization. The present method will provide a feasible novel opportunity toward the application of supramolecular chemistry for the processing of polymer and the functionalization of GO. (C) 2018 The Electrochemical Society.