Molecular‐Level Dispersion of Graphene into Poly(vinyl alcohol) and Effective Reinforcement of their Nanocomposites

TLDR

Strong, durable, cost‑efficient multifunctional nanocomposites remain elusive despite advances with carbon nanotubes, largely because achieving molecule‑level dispersion and maximal interfacial interaction at low filler loadings is challenging. The study reports preparing poly(vinyl alcohol) nanocomposites with graphene oxide via a simple water‑solution processing method. The authors dispersed GO in water, mixed it with PVA, and cast the solution to form nanocomposites with molecule‑level dispersion. Efficient load transfer between graphene and PVA leads to significant mechanical improvements, with a 76 % increase in tensile strength and 62 % higher Young’s modulus at only 0.7 wt % GO, matching theoretical predictions.

Abstract

Abstract Despite great recent progress with carbon nanotubes and other nanoscale fillers, the development of strong, durable, and cost‐efficient multifunctional nanocomposite materials has yet to be achieved. The challenges are to achieve molecule‐level dispersion and maximum interfacial interaction between the nanofiller and the matrix at low loading. Here, the preparation of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) nanocomposites with graphene oxide (GO) using a simple water solution processing method is reported. Efficient load transfer is found between the nanofiller graphene and matrix PVA and the mechanical properties of the graphene‐based nanocomposite with molecule‐level dispersion are significantly improved. A 76% increase in tensile strength and a 62% improvement of Young's modulus are achieved by addition of only 0.7 wt% of GO. The experimentally determined Young's modulus is in excellent agreement with theoretical simulation.