Surface Initiated Polymerization from Graphene Oxide

Graphene oxide (GO) is a unique material due to its various functional groups involving unsaturated double bonds, epoxy/hydroxyl groups on the basal planes, and carboxylic acid groups at the edges. Thus, GO exhibits uniqueness compared to other carbon related materials (such as carbon nanotubes, graphene sheets and fullerenes) due to its pronounced potential of functionality alteration. The latter feature allows GO to behave in accordance with the various surface groups and when involved in the preparation of a composite material with a functional polymer, to lead in enhanced surface properties. Therefore, GO can be hydrophilic and disperse in water or specific polar organic solvents owing to bearing hydroxyl and carboxylic groups or exhibit minimal dispersion in polar organic solvents and/or polymer surfaces due to the pi-pi stacking of the GO sheets. On the other hand, two methods have been reported in the literature for the preparation of GO-polymer composites: "grafting to" [1] and "grafting from" [2], which are both based on the linking approach between the polymer and GO, without of course damaging the GO structure.