Interfacial enhancement of maleated polypropylene/silica composites using graphene oxide

Graphene oxide (GO) is derived from oxidization of natural graphite and contains many active groups. These active groups make GO a potential compatibilizer for polymer blends or coupling agent for polymer composites. In this work, a novel core-shell structured hybrid submicroparticles of graphene oxide-encapsulated silica (GO-SiO2) were fabricated using GO sheets via an electrostatic assembly between ultrathin negatively charged graphene oxide sheets and positively charged amino-modified silica. The possible application of this new hybrid filler was explored in preparation of maleated polypropylene (PP-g-MA)/GO-SiO2 composites. The microstructure and interface enhancement of the prepared composites were analyzed by SEM, TEM, OM, TGA, FTIR, and DMA measurements. A uniform dispersion of GO-SiO2 hybrids, enhanced interfacial adhesion and improved mechanical property were evidenced. The reason might be that graphene oxide can be covalently assembled onto the amino-modified silica surface, and simultaneously it provides strong interaction with the PP-g-MA due to similar polarity or possible hydrogen bonding. This work suggests a potential application of graphene oxide-encapsulated particle in preparation of high performance polymer composites. (C) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012