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Polymers
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Graphene-Polymer Composites III
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Graphene-Polymer Composites III

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Composites and Nanocomposites".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 September 2023) | Viewed by 29351

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Artur Pinto

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Guest Editor
Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen, 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
Interests: graphene-based materials; polymer composites; biomaterials; phototherapy; antibacterial materials; graphene inks
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Fernão D. Magalhães

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Guest Editor
1. LEPABE, Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
2. ALiCE, Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
Interests: synthetic and natural adhesives; lignocellulosic composites; graphene-based biomaterials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Further to the success of the Special Issue of Polymers “Graphene-Polymer Composites II”, we are delighted to reopen the Special Issue, now entitled “Graphene-Polymer Composites III”.

The mechanical, electrical, thermal, magnetic, optical, and biological properties of graphene have attracted a significant amount of attention from the research community since the isolation of single-atom-thick graphene layers, by Geim and co-workers in 2004. Presenting a very high surface-to-volume ratio, relatively simple processability, and low cost, graphene and graphene-based materials (GBMs) were soon identified as promising nanofillers for polymer matrices. Reports have shown notorious property enhancements for graphene–polymer composites (GPC) at very low filler loadings. Uses of GPC in varied fields, such as energy, electronics, catalysis, separation and purification, biomedicine, aerospace, tribology, etc., have been demonstrated and, in some cases, put into industrial practice. However, challenges still exist. Platelet agglomeration within the polymer matrix is often seen to hinder performance improvements. Poor interfacial adhesion between filler and matrix is also a limiting factor in many systems, demanding tuning of the surface chemistry to promote physical or chemical interactions with the polymer chains. The range of routes for fabrication of GBMs, leading to different morphologies, oxidation states, and degrees of platelet exfoliation, has an impact on the final properties of the composites that has not yet been fully addressed. Some argue that the potential of graphene, and its advantages in relation to other nanofillers, has not yet been fully demonstrated for polymer composites. On the other hand, recent findings suggest that some graphene forms are potentially biodegradable and biocompatible, which constitutes a major advantage, compared for example with carbon black or some forms of carbon-nanotubes, which were demonstrated to be carcinogenic. Further studies are required, concerning not only GBMs’ biological properties, but also their potential applications in multiple fields.

This Special Issue invites original papers and reviews reporting on recent progress in the following areas:

  • Chemical and physical surface modifications of graphene and GBMs for improving dispersibility and compatibility with polymer matrices;
  • Fabrication methods of GPC in coating, film, bulk or particulate forms;
  • Properties of GPC (chemical, mechanical, thermal, electrical, magnetic, etc.);
  • Applications of GPC;
  • Biological properties of GBMs and GPC (biocompatibility, biointeractions, environmental toxicity, etc.).

It must be noted that the term “composite” should be understood here in its broader sense, describing a material, of any geometry and size, made of two or more constituent materials that do not lose their individual identities when combined.

Dr. Artur Pinto
Dr. Fernão D. Magalhães
Guest Editors

Keywords

  • graphene
  • graphene oxide
  • composites
  • coatings
  • adhesives
  • fibers
  • particles
  • surface modification
  • surface functionalization
  • materials properties
  • biological properties

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Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 4586 KiB  
Article
PET/Graphene Nanocomposite Fibers Obtained by Dry-Jet Wet-Spinning for Conductive Textiles
by Laia León-Boigues, Araceli Flores, Marian A. Gómez-Fatou, Juan F. Vega, Gary J. Ellis and Horacio J. Salavagione
Polymers 2023, 15(5), 1245; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15051245 - 28 Feb 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2167
Abstract
The combination of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), one of the most used polymers in the textile industry, with graphene, one of the most outstanding conductive materials in recent years, represents a promising strategy for the preparation of conductive textiles. This study focuses on the [...] Read more.
The combination of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), one of the most used polymers in the textile industry, with graphene, one of the most outstanding conductive materials in recent years, represents a promising strategy for the preparation of conductive textiles. This study focuses on the preparation of mechanically stable and conductive polymer textiles and describes the preparation of PET/graphene fibers by the dry-jet wet-spinning method from nanocomposite solutions in trifluoroacetic acid. Nanoindentation results show that the addition of a small amount of graphene (2 wt.%) to the glassy PET fibers produces a significant modulus and hardness enhancement (≈10%) that can be partly attributed to the intrinsic mechanical properties of graphene but also to the promotion of crystallinity. Higher graphene loadings up to 5 wt.% are found to produce additional mechanical improvements up to ≈20% that can be merely attributed to the superior properties of the filler. Moreover, the nanocomposite fibers display an electrical conductivity percolation threshold over 2 wt.% approaching ≈0.2 S/cm for the largest graphene loading. Finally, bending tests on the nanocomposite fibers show that the good electrical conductivity can be preserved under cyclic mechanical loading. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Graphene-Polymer Composites III)
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17 pages, 8795 KiB  
Article
Near-Infrared-Light-Assisted Self-Healing Graphene-Thermopolyurethane Composite Films
by Yuehui Wang, Zhimin Zhou, Sixing Li, Han Zheng, Jiaxin Lu, Shuyue Wang, Jiahao Zhang, Ke Wang and Kaiwen Lin
Polymers 2022, 14(6), 1183; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14061183 - 16 Mar 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2040
Abstract
Graphene-thermopolyurethane (G-TPU) composite films were fabricated and the effects of the TPU initial concentration, characteristics of TPU, and graphene loading on the electrical, mechanical, thermal, infrared thermal response and near-infrared-light-assisted self-healing properties of the composite films were investigated in detail. The experimental results [...] Read more.
Graphene-thermopolyurethane (G-TPU) composite films were fabricated and the effects of the TPU initial concentration, characteristics of TPU, and graphene loading on the electrical, mechanical, thermal, infrared thermal response and near-infrared-light-assisted self-healing properties of the composite films were investigated in detail. The experimental results demonstrate that the comprehensive performances of the composite film are related to the initial concentration of the TPU solution and the characteristics of the TPU and the graphene loading. The composite film prepared from TPU solution with low initial concentration can have conductivity under the condition of low graphene content. However, the composite film prepared with appropriate initial concentration of TPU solution and high graphene loading is conducive to obtain high conductivity. After 60 s of near-infrared illumination, the temperature of the composite film first increases and then decreases with the increase in graphene loading until it reaches saturation. The near-infrared light thermal response of the composite film with high graphene loading is related to the initial concentration of TPU solution, while the near-IR thermal response of the composite film with low graphene loading is independent of the initial concentration of TPU. The surface micro-cracks of the composite film almost disappeared after 10 min of near-infrared illumination. The resistance of the conductive composite film increases after healed. The composite film prepared with low melting point TPU is more favorable to obtain high near-IR thermal self-healing efficiency. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Graphene-Polymer Composites III)
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11 pages, 5335 KiB  
Article
One-Step Reduction of Graphene Oxide with Phosphorus/Silicon-Containing Compound and Its Flame Retardancy in Epoxy Resin
by Fangyi Wu, Xiaohui Bao and Jiangbo Wang
Polymers 2021, 13(22), 3985; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13223985 - 18 Nov 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1732
Abstract
A novel graphene-based phosphorus/silicon-containing flame retardant (GO-DOPO-V) was obtained via one-step reduction of graphene oxide (GO) with phosphorus/silicon-containing compound (DOPO-V). The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS), Atomic force microscope (AFM) and Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) measurements were used to confirm [...] Read more.
A novel graphene-based phosphorus/silicon-containing flame retardant (GO-DOPO-V) was obtained via one-step reduction of graphene oxide (GO) with phosphorus/silicon-containing compound (DOPO-V). The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS), Atomic force microscope (AFM) and Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) measurements were used to confirm the structure and morphology. After incorporation of 2 wt% GO-DOPO-V, the maximum decreases of 28.8% in peak heat release rate and 15.6% in total heat release are achieved compared to that of pure epoxy resin (EP). Furthermore, TGA and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) measurement showed that GO-DOPO-V significantly enhanced the thermal stability and residual char strength of EP. Thus, attributed to the barrier effect of GO and phosphorus/silicon layer formation by DOPO-V, GO-DOPO-V was a high-efficient flame retardant to improve the combustion behavior of EP nanocomposite. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Graphene-Polymer Composites III)
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14 pages, 3946 KiB  
Article
Excellent Thermally Conducting Ni Plating Graphite Nanoplatelets/Poly(phenylene sulfone) Composites for High-Performance Electromagnetic Interference Shielding Effectiveness
by Zhang Chen, Ting Yang, Lin Cheng and Jianxin Mu
Polymers 2021, 13(20), 3493; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13203493 - 12 Oct 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1740
Abstract
First, nickel particles were deposited on the surface of graphite nanoplatelets to fabricate highly conductive GnPs@Ni core-shell structure hybrid fillers via electroplating. The modified GnPs were blended with polyphenylene sulfone via the solution blending method, followed by the hot-pressing method to achieve high [...] Read more.
First, nickel particles were deposited on the surface of graphite nanoplatelets to fabricate highly conductive GnPs@Ni core-shell structure hybrid fillers via electroplating. The modified GnPs were blended with polyphenylene sulfone via the solution blending method, followed by the hot-pressing method to achieve high thermally conducting GnPs@Ni/PPSU composites for high performance electromagnetic interference effectiveness. The results showed that in-plane and through-plane thermal conductivity of the composite at the 40 wt% filler loading could reach 2.6 Wm−1K−1 and 3.7 Wm−1K−1, respectively, which were 9.4 and 20 times higher than that of pure PPSU resin. The orientation degree of fillers was discussed by XRD and SEM. Then, heat conduction data were fitted and analyzed by the Agari model, and the heat conduction mechanism was further explored. The testing results also demonstrated that the material exhibited good conductivity, electromagnetic shielding effectiveness and superior thermal stability. Overall, the GnPs@Ni/PPSU composites had high thermal conductivity and were effective electromagnetic shielding materials at high temperatures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Graphene-Polymer Composites III)
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12 pages, 4974 KiB  
Article
Exploring Impacts of Hyper-Branched Polyester Surface Modification of Graphene Oxide on the Mechanical Performances of Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene
by Xuebing Chen, Shulai Lu, Chunfu Sun, Zhenbiao Song, Jian Kang and Ya Cao
Polymers 2021, 13(16), 2614; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13162614 - 06 Aug 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1727
Abstract
In this manuscript, the graphene oxide (GO) was modified by hyper-branched polyester (HBP). The effects of GO or modified GO (HBP-m-GO) on the mechanical performance and wearing properties were investigated. The results of X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and [...] Read more.
In this manuscript, the graphene oxide (GO) was modified by hyper-branched polyester (HBP). The effects of GO or modified GO (HBP-m-GO) on the mechanical performance and wearing properties were investigated. The results of X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed the successful grafting of HBP onto GO. The thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) indicated that the graft amount of HBP is calculated to be 9.6 wt%. The GO or HBP-m-GO was added into acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS) to prepare the ABS/GO composites. The mechanical properties and wear performance of the composites were studied to comparatively study the impact of GO modification on the properties of the composites. The results revealed that the addition of GO has a significant effect on the mechanical properties of ABS, and when HBP-m-GO was added, the elastic modulus and tensile strength of ABS/HBP-m-GO increased evidently compared with ABS/GO. The tensile strength increased from 42.1 ± 0.6 MPa of pure ABS to 55.9 ± 0.9 MPa, up to 30%. Meanwhile, the elongation at break was significantly higher than ABS/GO to 20.1 ± 1.3%, slightly lower than that of pure ABS. For wear performance, the addition of raw GO decreased the friction coefficient, and when the HBP-m-GO was added, the friction coefficient of the ABS/HBP-m-GO dropped more evidently. Meanwhile, the weight loss during the wear test decreased evidently. The related mechanism was discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Graphene-Polymer Composites III)
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14 pages, 2652 KiB  
Article
Non-Covalent Interactions on Polymer-Graphene Nanocomposites and Their Effects on the Electrical Conductivity
by Jorge Luis Apátiga, Roxana Mitzayé del Castillo, Luis Felipe del Castillo, Alipio G. Calles, Raúl Espejel-Morales, José F. Favela and Vicente Compañ
Polymers 2021, 13(11), 1714; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13111714 - 24 May 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2100
Abstract
It is well known that a small number of graphene nanoparticles embedded in polymers enhance the electrical conductivity; the polymer changes from being an insulator to a conductor. The graphene nanoparticles induce several quantum effects, non-covalent interactions, so the percolation threshold is accelerated. [...] Read more.
It is well known that a small number of graphene nanoparticles embedded in polymers enhance the electrical conductivity; the polymer changes from being an insulator to a conductor. The graphene nanoparticles induce several quantum effects, non-covalent interactions, so the percolation threshold is accelerated. We studied five of the most widely used polymers embedded with graphene nanoparticles: polystyrene, polyethylene-terephthalate, polyether-ketone, polypropylene, and polyurethane. The polymers with aromatic rings are affected mainly by the graphene nanoparticles due to the π-π stacking, and the long-range terms of the dispersion corrections are predominant. The polymers with linear structure have a CH-π stacking, and the short-range terms of the dispersion corrections are the important ones. We used the action radius as a measuring tool to quantify the non-covalent interactions. This action radius was the main parameter used in the Monte-Carlo simulation to obtain the conductivity at room temperature (300 K). The action radius was the key tool to describe how the percolation transition works from the fundamental quantum levels and connect the microscopic study with macroscopic properties. In the Monte-Carlo simulation, it was observed that the non-covalent interactions affect the electronic transmission, inducing a higher mean-free path that promotes the efficiency in the transmission. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Graphene-Polymer Composites III)
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Review

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31 pages, 2977 KiB  
Review
New Polymeric Composites Based on Two-Dimensional Nanomaterials for Biomedical Applications
by Laura S. Pires, Fernão D. Magalhães and Artur M. Pinto
Polymers 2022, 14(7), 1464; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14071464 - 04 Apr 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3352
Abstract
The constant evolution and advancement of the biomedical field requires robust and innovative research. Two-dimensional nanomaterials are an emerging class of materials that have risen the attention of the scientific community. Their unique properties, such as high surface-to-volume ratio, easy functionalization, photothermal conversion, [...] Read more.
The constant evolution and advancement of the biomedical field requires robust and innovative research. Two-dimensional nanomaterials are an emerging class of materials that have risen the attention of the scientific community. Their unique properties, such as high surface-to-volume ratio, easy functionalization, photothermal conversion, among others, make them highly versatile for a plethora of applications ranging from energy storage, optoelectronics, to biomedical applications. Recent works have proven the efficiency of 2D nanomaterials for cancer photothermal therapy (PTT), drug delivery, tissue engineering, and biosensing. Combining these materials with hydrogels and scaffolds can enhance their biocompatibility and improve treatment for a variety of diseases/injuries. However, given that the use of two-dimensional nanomaterials-based polymeric composites for biomedical applications is a very recent subject, there is a lot of scattered information. Hence, this review gathers the most recent works employing these polymeric composites for biomedical applications, providing the reader with a general overview of their potential. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Graphene-Polymer Composites III)
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25 pages, 5532 KiB  
Review
Fabrication of Polymer/Graphene Biocomposites for Tissue Engineering
by João Meneses, Tom van de Kemp, Raquel Costa-Almeida, Rúben Pereira, Fernão D. Magalhães, Miguel Castilho and Artur M. Pinto
Polymers 2022, 14(5), 1038; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14051038 - 04 Mar 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2765
Abstract
Graphene-based materials (GBM) are considered one of the 21st century’s most promising materials, as they are incredibly light, strong, thin and have remarkable electrical and thermal properties. As a result, over the past decade, their combination with a diverse range of synthetic polymers [...] Read more.
Graphene-based materials (GBM) are considered one of the 21st century’s most promising materials, as they are incredibly light, strong, thin and have remarkable electrical and thermal properties. As a result, over the past decade, their combination with a diverse range of synthetic polymers has been explored in tissue engineering (TE) and regenerative medicine (RM). In addition, a wide range of methods for fabricating polymer/GBM scaffolds have been reported. This review provides an overview of the most recent advances in polymer/GBM composite development and fabrication, focusing on methods such as electrospinning and additive manufacturing (AM). As a future outlook, this work stresses the need for more in vivo studies to validate polymer/GBM composite scaffolds for TE applications, and gives insight on their fabrication by state-of-the-art processing technologies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Graphene-Polymer Composites III)
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27 pages, 6036 KiB  
Review
Recent Studies on Dispersion of Graphene–Polymer Composites
by Suguna Perumal, Raji Atchudan and In Woo Cheong
Polymers 2021, 13(14), 2375; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13142375 - 20 Jul 2021
Cited by 33 | Viewed by 9432
Abstract
Graphene is an excellent 2D material that has extraordinary properties such as high surface area, electron mobility, conductivity, and high light transmission. Polymer composites are used in many applications in place of polymers. In recent years, the development of stable graphene dispersions with [...] Read more.
Graphene is an excellent 2D material that has extraordinary properties such as high surface area, electron mobility, conductivity, and high light transmission. Polymer composites are used in many applications in place of polymers. In recent years, the development of stable graphene dispersions with high graphene concentrations has attracted great attention due to their applications in energy, bio-fields, and so forth. Thus, this review essentially discusses the preparation of stable graphene–polymer composites/dispersions. Discussion on existing methods of preparing graphene is included with their merits and demerits. Among existing methods, mechanical exfoliation is widely used for the preparation of stable graphene dispersion, the theoretical background of this method is discussed briefly. Solvents, surfactants, and polymers that are used for dispersing graphene and the factors to be considered while preparing stable graphene dispersions are discussed in detail. Further, the direct applications of stable graphene dispersions are discussed briefly. Finally, a summary and prospects for the development of stable graphene dispersions are proposed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Graphene-Polymer Composites III)
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