Poly(methyl methacrylate) nanocomposite reinforced with graphene, graphene oxide, and graphite: a review

Physical Adsorption of Graphene Oxide onto Polymer Latexes and Characterization of the Resulting Nanocomposite Particles

Polymer/graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposite particles were prepared via heteroflocculation between 140-220 nm cationic latex nanoparticles and anionic GO nanosheets in either acidic or basic conditions. It is demonstrated that nanocomposite particles can be formed using either poly(2-vinylpyridine)-b-poly(benzyl methacrylate) (P2VP-PBzMA) block copolymer nanoparticles prepared by reversible-addition chain-transfer (RAFT)-mediated polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA), or poly(ethylene glycol)methacrylate (PEGMA)-stabilized P2VP latexes prepared by traditional emulsion polymerization. These two latexes are different morphologically as the P2VP-PBzMA block copolymer latexes have P2VP steric stabilizer chains in their corona, whereas the PEGMA-stabilized P2VP particles have a P2VP core and a nonionic steric stabilizer. Nevertheless, both the P2VP-PBzMA and PEGMA-stabilized P2VP latexes are cationic at low pH. Thus, the addition of GO to these latexes causes flocculation to occur immediately due to the opposite charges between the anionic GO nanosheets and cationic latexes. Control heteroflocculation experiments were conducted using anionic sterically stabilized poly(potassium 3-sulfopropyl methacrylate)-b-poly(benzyl methacrylate) (PKSPMA-PBzMA) and nonionic poly(benzyl methacrylate) (PBzMA) nanoparticles to demonstrate that polymer/GO nanocomposite particles were not formed. The degree of flocculation and the strength of electrostatic interaction between the cationic polymer latexes and GO were assessed using disc centrifuge photosedimentometry (DCP), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and UV-visible spectrophotometry. These studies suggest that the optimal conditions for the formation of polymer/GO nanocomposite particles were GO contents between 10% and 20% w/w relative to latex, with the latexes containing P2VP in their corona having a stronger electrostatic attraction to the GO sheets.

Poly(methyl methacrylate) Nanocomposite Foams Reinforced with Carbon and Inorganic Nanoparticles—State-of-the-Art

Polymeric nanocomposite foams have attracted increasing research attention for technical reasons. Poly(methyl methacrylate) is a remarkable and viable thermoplastic polymer. This review highlights some indispensable aspects of poly(methyl methacrylate) nanocomposite foams with nanocarbon nanofillers (carbon nanotube, graphene, etc.) and inorganic nanoparticles (nanoclay, polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane, silica, etc.). The design and physical properties of poly(methyl methacrylate) nanocomposite foams have been deliberated. It has been observed that processing strategies, nanofiller dispersion, and interfacial interactions in poly(methyl methacrylate)–nanofiller have been found essential to produce high-performance nanocellular foams. The emergent application areas of the poly(methyl methacrylate) nanocomposite foams are electromagnetic interference shielding, sensors, and supercapacitors.

Secondary Exfoliation of Electrolytic Graphene Oxide by Ultrasound Assisted Microwave Technique

Scalable production of large size and high quality graphene is an important prerequisite to fully realize its commercial applications. Herein, we propose a high-efficient route for preparing few-layer graphene. The secondary exfoliation of unexfoliated graphite flakes from electrochemical exfoliation was achieved by using ultrasonication assisted microwave exfoliation technique. The results show that the as-prepared sample has a C/O of 15.2, a thickness of about 1 nm and a transverse dimension of over 100 nm, and the Raman spectrogram shows low defects upon reduction of the sample. These results suggest that electrolytic graphene can be exfoliated to form graphene nanosheets under ultrasonic-assisted microwave technology, thus indicating that the current method has great potential for synthesizing high-quality graphene at an industrial-scale.

Conjugated Polymer/Graphene Oxide Nanocomposites—State-of-the-Art

Graphene oxide is an imperative modified form of graphene. Similar to graphene, graphene oxide has gained vast interest for the myriad of industrial applications. Conjugated polymers or conducting polymers are well known organic materials having conducting backbone. These polymers have semiconducting nature due to π-conjugation along the main chain. Doping and modification have been used to enhance the electrical conductivity of the conjugated polymers. The nanocomposites of the conjugated polymers have been reported with the nanocarbon nanofillers including graphene oxide. This review essentially presents the structure, properties, and advancements in the field of conducting polymer/graphene oxide nanocomposites. The facile synthesis, processability, and physical properties of the polymer/graphene oxide nanocomposites have been discussed. The conjugated polymer/graphene oxide nanocomposites have essential significance for the supercapacitors, solar cells, and anti-corrosion materials. Nevertheless, the further advanced properties and technical applications of the conjugated polymer/graphene oxide nanocomposites need to be explored to overcome the challenges related to the high performance.

A Review on the Production Methods and Applications of Graphene-Based Materials

Graphene-based materials in the form of fibres, fabrics, films, and composite materials are the most widely investigated research domains because of their remarkable physicochemical and thermomechanical properties. In this era of scientific advancement, graphene has built the foundation of a new horizon of possibilities and received tremendous research focus in several application areas such as aerospace, energy, transportation, healthcare, agriculture, wastewater management, and wearable technology. Although graphene has been found to provide exceptional results in every application field, a massive proportion of research is still underway to configure required parameters to ensure the best possible outcomes from graphene-based materials. Until now, several review articles have been published to summarise the excellence of graphene and its derivatives, which focused mainly on a single application area of graphene. However, no single review is found to comprehensively study most used fabrication processes of graphene-based materials including their diversified and potential application areas. To address this genuine gap and ensure wider support for the upcoming research and investigations of this excellent material, this review aims to provide a snapshot of most used fabrication methods of graphene-based materials in the form of pure and composite fibres, graphene-based composite materials conjugated with polymers, and fibres. This study also provides a clear perspective of large-scale production feasibility and application areas of graphene-based materials in all forms.

Biopolymer and Synthetic Polymer-Based Nanocomposites in Wound Dressing Applications: A Review

Biopolymers are materials obtained from a natural origin, such as plants, animals, microorganisms, or other living beings; they are flexible, elastic, or fibrous materials. Polysaccharides and proteins are some of the natural polymers that are widely used in wound dressing applications. In this review paper, we will provide an overview of biopolymers and synthetic polymer-based nanocomposites, which have promising applications in the biomedical research field, such as wound dressings, wound healing, tissue engineering, drug delivery, and medical implants. Since these polymers have intrinsic biocompatibility, low immunogenicity, non-toxicity, and biodegradable properties, they can be used for various clinical applications. The significant advancements in materials research, drug development, nanotechnology, and biotechnology have laid the foundation for changing the biopolymeric structural and functional properties. The properties of biopolymer and synthetic polymers were modified by blending them with nanoparticles, so that these materials can be used as a wound dressing application. Recent wound care issues, such as tissue repairs, scarless healing, and lost tissue integrity, can be treated with blended polymers. Currently, researchers are focusing on metal/metal oxide nanomaterials such as zinc oxide (ZnO), cerium oxide (CeO₂), silver (Ag), titanium oxide (TiO₂), iron oxide (Fe₂O₃), and other materials (graphene and carbon nanotubes (CNT)). These materials have good antimicrobial properties, as well as action as antibacterial agents. Due to the highly antimicrobial properties of the metal/metal oxide materials, they can be used for wound dressing applications.