Synthesis and characterization of the in situ bulk polymerization of PMMA containing graphene sheets using microwave irradiation

Molecules. 2013 Mar 11;18(3):3152-67. doi: 10.3390/molecules18033152.

Abstract

Polymethylmethacrylate-graphene (PMMA/RGO) nanocomposites were prepared via in situ bulk polymerization using two different preparation techniques. In the first approach, a mixture of graphite oxide (GO) and methylmethacrylate monomers (MMA) were polymerized using a bulk polymerization method with a free radical initiator. After the addition of the reducing agent hydrazine hydrate (HH), the product was reduced via microwave irradiation (MWI) to obtain R-(GO-PMMA) composites. In the second approach, a mixture of graphite sheets (RGO) and MMA monomers were polymerized using a bulk polymerization method with a free radical initiator to obtain RGO-(PMMA) composites. The composites were characterized by FTIR, (1)H-NMR and Raman spectroscopy and XRD, SEM, TEM, TGA and DSC. The results indicate that the composite obtained using the first approach, which involved MWI, had a better morphology and dispersion with enhanced thermal stability compared with the composites prepared without MWI.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Graphite / chemical synthesis
  • Graphite / chemistry*
  • Microwaves*
  • Nanocomposites / chemistry
  • Nanocomposites / ultrastructure
  • Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular
  • Polymethyl Methacrylate / chemical synthesis
  • Polymethyl Methacrylate / chemistry*
  • Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared
  • Thermodynamics
  • X-Ray Diffraction

Substances

  • Graphite
  • Polymethyl Methacrylate