Abstract
We report on the morphology and mechanical properties of nanocomposite films derived from aqueous, hybrid liquid crystalline mixtures of rodlike aggregates of a sulfonated, all-aromatic polyamide, poly(2,2′-disulfonyl-4,4′-benzidine terephthalamide) (PBDT), and graphene oxide (GO) platelets. An isothermal step at 200 °C facilitates in situ partial thermal reduction of GO to reduced GO (rGO) in nanocomposite films. X-ray scattering studies reveal that PBDT-rGO nanocomposites exhibit both higher in-plane alignment of PBDT (the order parameter increases from 0.79 to 0.9 at 1.8 vol % rGO) and alignment along the casting direction (from 0.1 to 0.6 at 1.8 vol % rGO). From dynamic mechanical thermal analysis, the interaction between PBDT and rGO causes the β-relaxation activation energy for PBDT to increase with rGO concentration. Modulus mapping of nanocomposites using atomic force microscopy demonstrates enhanced local stiffness, indicating reinforcement. From stress-strain analysis, the average Young's modulus increases from 16 to 37 GPa at 1.8 vol % rGO and the average tensile strength increases from 210 to 640 MPa. Despite polymer alignment along the casting direction, an average transverse tensile strength of 230 MPa is obtained.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 16592-16600 |
Journal | ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces |
Volume | 14 |
Issue number | 14 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2022 |
Bibliographical note
Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository 'You share, we take care!' - Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-careOtherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.
Keywords
- graphene oxide
- hybrid liquid crystal
- mechanical reinforcement
- nanocomposite
- reduced graphene oxide