Graphene-based high-performance polymer composites possess promising applications in electronics, membranes, biomedical aids, chromatography, flexible wearable sensors, actuators, aerospace, automotive, etc. With excellent mechanical, thermal, electrical properties, high electron mobility, and high surface area. However, the synthesis of graphene-based composite material can be challenging because of harsh chemicals and the high cost associated with the exfoliation of the single sheet pristine graphene. In our group, we use the Solvent Interfacial Trapping Method (SITM) to synthesize pristine graphene, a process in which graphite thermodynamically exfoliates and spreads spontaneously at the high-energy water−oil interface, creating pristine graphene sheets; this method is economically viable and environmentally friendly. Furthermore, using a monomer (styrene, methyl methacrylate, etc.) as the oil phase, we can produce electrically conductive composites containing a percolating network of graphene-lined spheres. Graphene is reported to have an electrical conductivity around 104 to 105 S/m, yet our composites have a conductivity around 0.3 S/m. There are several reasons for this decrease, including the polymerization dynamics of the emulsions. The dynamics of the polymer chain between the graphene sheets play an essential role in the electrical properties of the graphene-based composite material. We studied the emulsion electrical resistance during the polymerization of the monomer continuous phase and found a consistent pattern of resistance increase and decrease in different systems. We attribute these results to the depletion effect of polymer contained between graphene sheets as the polymer MW increases. We also observed this effect in model systems and showed it was a function of the type of crosslinker and the crosslinker concentration in different monomer systems.

Resistance study during the synthesis of graphene-based polymer composite

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ACS Fall 2022

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