Preparation and characterization of poly(vinyl acetate)-intercalated graphite oxide nanocomposite

Graphite oxide, a pseudo-two-dimensional solid in bulk form, was synthesized from natural graphite powder by graphite oxidation with KMnO4 in concentrated H2SO4. Poly(vinyl acetate) intercalated graphite oxide nanocomposite was prepared by an in situ intercalative polymerization reaction, in which an n-octanol-graphite oxide intercalation compound was first obtained, vinyl acetate monomer was then dispersed into the interlayer of the modified graphite oxide, followed by thermally polymerizing the monomer. It was experimentally shown that the c-axis spacing increased to 1.152 nm when poly(vinyl acetate) was intercalated into the interlayer space of the graphite oxide. Thermal analysis and FT-IR spectrometry were also used to characterize the nanocomposite. The extractability of the intercalated poly(vinyl acetate) and the electrical properties of the nanocomposite were evaluated.