Synthesis of electrically conducting nanocomposites via Pickering miniemulsion polymerization: Effect of graphene oxide functionalized with different capping agents

Abstract

Modification of graphene oxide (GO) sheets with various capping agents has been explored within the context of miniemulsion polymerization as a synthetic route towards ambient temperature film forming latexes for fabri-cation of electrically conducting films after thermal reduction to generate reduced GO. Miniemulsion poly-merizations of styrene/n-butyl acrylate were conducted in the presence of non-modified GO as well as GO functionalized with poly(methyl methacrylate) (GO-PMMA), poly(di(ethylene glycol) ethyl ether acrylate) (GO-PDEGA), and carboxylic acid groups (GO-COOH). Colloidal instability was encountered for GO-PMMA and GO-PDEGA, but stable latexes and nanocomposite films were successfully obtained using GO and GO-COOH. Elec-trical conductivities in the approximate range of 0.1-4 S m(-1) were obtained, with GO-COOH giving slightly lower values than GO, and the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) resulting in increasing conductivity values for both GO and GO-COOH.