Issue 1, 2022

Isocyanate-functionalised graphene oxide and poly(vinyl alcohol) nacre-mimetic inspired freestanding films

Abstract

Nacre mimetic films based on 2-ureido-4[1H]-pyrimidinone (UPy) functionalised graphene oxide (GO) and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) were readily prepared by self-assembly using a vacuum filtration method. The isocyanate (UPy) functionalisation of the PVA was confirmed from a combination of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and changes in d-spacing from X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements and, of the GO by solid-state NMR measurements reported by the authors previously. This is the first example of nacre mimetic structures where both the nanoplatelet (GO) and polymer (PVA) components are functionalised with complimentary groups. The resulting films displayed substantial increases in Young's modulus (E) of 392% (GO1/PVA1), ultimate tensile strength (UTS, σ) of 535% (GO1/PVA1), elongation at break (εmax) of 598% (GO10/PVA5) and tensile toughness (UT) of 1789% (GO1/PVA10) compared to the un-functionalised GO analogues. The binding of UPy to both the GO and the PVA provides multiple routes by which these freestanding nacre mimetic films can dissipate applied loads.

Graphical abstract: Isocyanate-functionalised graphene oxide and poly(vinyl alcohol) nacre-mimetic inspired freestanding films

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
08 Nov 2021
Accepted
09 Nov 2021
First published
12 Nov 2021
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Nanoscale Adv., 2022,4, 49-57

Isocyanate-functionalised graphene oxide and poly(vinyl alcohol) nacre-mimetic inspired freestanding films

A. J. Smith, Ł. Figiel, C. Wan and T. McNally, Nanoscale Adv., 2022, 4, 49 DOI: 10.1039/D1NA00792K

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