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Polymers
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Characterizations, Properties, and Applications of Polymers with Graphene
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Characterizations, Properties, and Applications of Polymers with Graphene

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Composites and Nanocomposites".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 November 2022) | Viewed by 14136

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Andrea Mura

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, 10129 Torino, Italy
Interests: machine design; tribology; fatigue; lightweight structures; optimization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the past few years, graphene has found applications in many fields, from electronic to mechanics. This material has been used to make sensors and solar panels, to improve properties of materials, and for many other purposes. Of particular interest is the use of graphene with polymers, as the composites or compounds of graphene and plastics are being investigated in a huge number of applications. Graphene is being used to improve and/or change the properties of polymers, to add features, and to make sensors, just to cite some examples.

The aim of this Special Issue is to collect a wide range of applications of graphene with polymers in order to have a reliable reference that may be useful for scientists, and potential users, such as industries. This Special Issue covers all the aspects concerning the use of graphene with polymers, such as materials characterization, investigation of new applications, new properties, devices mainly based on the use of polymers, thermal applications, composites, structural materials, sensors, etc. Both original contributions and reviews are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Andrea Mura
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • Graphene
  • Polymers
  • Fatigue
  • Wear
  • Sensors
  • Coatings
  • Composites
  • Structures
  • Lightweight structures
  • Smart materials
  • Nanocoatings
  • Efficiency
  • Friction
  • Heat transfer

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

25 pages, 6815 KiB  
Article
Operational Stability, Regenerability, and Thermodynamics Studies on Biogenic Silica/Magnetite/Graphene Oxide Nanocomposite-Activated Candida rugosa Lipase
by Adikwu Gowon Jacob, Roswanira Abdul Wahab and Mailin Misson
Polymers 2021, 13(21), 3854; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13213854 - 8 Nov 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2599
Abstract
Inorganic biopolymer-based nanocomposites are useful for stabilizing lipases for enhanced catalytic performance and easy separation. Herein, we report the operational stability, regenerability, and thermodynamics studies of the ternary biogenic silica/magnetite/graphene oxide nanocomposite (SiO2/Fe3O4/GO) as a support for [...] Read more.
Inorganic biopolymer-based nanocomposites are useful for stabilizing lipases for enhanced catalytic performance and easy separation. Herein, we report the operational stability, regenerability, and thermodynamics studies of the ternary biogenic silica/magnetite/graphene oxide nanocomposite (SiO2/Fe3O4/GO) as a support for Candida rugosa lipase (CRL). The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-electron scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), and nitrogen adsorption/desorption data on the support and biocatalyst corroborated their successful fabrication. XPS revealed the Fe3O4 adopted Fe2+ and Fe3+ oxidation states, while XRD data of GO yielded a peak at 2θ = 11.67°, with the SiO2/Fe3O4/GO revealing a high surface area (≈261 m2/g). The fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra affirmed the successful fabricated supports and catalyst. The half-life and thermodynamic parameters of the superparamagnetic immobilized CRL (CRL/SiO2/Fe3O4/GO) improved over the free CRL. The microwave-regenerated CRL/SiO2/Fe3O4/GO (≈82%) exhibited higher catalytic activity than ultrasonic-regenerated (≈71%) ones. Lower activation (Ea) and higher deactivation energies (Ed) were also noted for the CRL/SiO2/Fe3O4/GO (13.87 kJ/mol, 32.32 kJ/mol) than free CRL (15.26 kJ/mol, 27.60 kJ/mol). A peak at 4.28 min in the gas chromatograph-flame ionization detection (GC-FID) chromatogram of the purified ethyl valerate supported the unique six types of 14 hydrogen atoms of the ester (CAS: 539-82-2) in the proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) data. The results collectively demonstrated the suitability of SiO2/Fe3O4/GO in stabilizing CRL for improved operational stability and thermodynamics and permitted biocatalyst regenerability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Characterizations, Properties, and Applications of Polymers with Graphene)
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15 pages, 1643 KiB  
Article
Impacts of Modified Graphite Oxide on Crystallization, Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Polybutylene Terephthalate
by Hongyan Li and Zhijun Wei
Polymers 2021, 13(15), 2431; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13152431 - 23 Jul 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2297
Abstract
In this study, the surface modification on graphene oxide (GO) was performed using octadecylamine (ODA). Furthermore, polybutylene terephthalate/GO (PBT/GO) composites were prepared to elucidate the role of GO surface modification on the mechanical performance, thermal stability and crystallization behavior. Results of Fourier transform [...] Read more.
In this study, the surface modification on graphene oxide (GO) was performed using octadecylamine (ODA). Furthermore, polybutylene terephthalate/GO (PBT/GO) composites were prepared to elucidate the role of GO surface modification on the mechanical performance, thermal stability and crystallization behavior. Results of Fourier transform infrared spectra (FT-IR), Raman spectrum, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) revealed that ODA was successfully grafted on GO. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), tensile test, Izod impact strength test and TGA were carried out on the PBT/GO composites. Results indicated that the addition of raw GO can enhance the crystallization temperature and degree of crystallinity and can slightly improve the thermal stability and tensile strength of the composites. However, the impact strength and elongation at break were seriously decreased owing to the poor compatibility between the GO and PBT matrix. Once the modified GO was added, the crystallization temperature and degree of crystallinity were greatly increased. The tensile strength increased greatly while the elongation at break and Izod impact strength were efficiently maintained; these were evidently higher than those of PBT/raw GO. Moreover, thermal stability was greatly enhanced. SEM (scanning electron microscope) observation results on the impact-fractured surface clearly confirmed the improved compatibility between the modified GO and PBT matrix. A related mechanism had been discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Characterizations, Properties, and Applications of Polymers with Graphene)
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11 pages, 2031 KiB  
Article
Novel Graphene Oxide Nanohybrid Doped Methacrylic Acid Hydrogels for Enhanced Swelling Capability and Cationic Adsorbability
by Yufei Liu, Ying Lyu, Yongqin Hu, Jia An, Rubing Chen, Meizhu Chen, Jihe Du and Chen Hou
Polymers 2021, 13(7), 1112; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13071112 - 1 Apr 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2537
Abstract
Novel versatile hydrogels were designed and composited based on covalent bond and noncovalent bond self-assembly of poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA) networks and nanohybrids doped with graphene oxide (GO). The structures and properties of the neat PMAA and the prepared PMAA/GO hydrogels were characterized and [...] Read more.
Novel versatile hydrogels were designed and composited based on covalent bond and noncovalent bond self-assembly of poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA) networks and nanohybrids doped with graphene oxide (GO). The structures and properties of the neat PMAA and the prepared PMAA/GO hydrogels were characterized and analyzed in detail, using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, swelling and cationic absorption, etc. The swelling results showed that the water penetration follows the non-Fick transport mechanism based on swelling kinetics and diffusion theory. The swelling capacity of PMAA and composited PMAA/GO hydrogels toward pH, Na+, Ga2+, and Fe3+ was investigated; the swelling ratio was tunable between 4.44 and 36.44. Taking methylene blue as an example, the adsorption capacity of PMAA/GO hydrogels was studied. Nanohybrid doped GO not only self-associated with PMAA via noncovalent bonding interactions and had a tunable swelling ratio, but also interacted with water molecules via electrostatic repulsion, offering a pH response of both the network and dye absorption. Increases in pH caused a rise in equilibrium swelling ratios and reduced the cumulative cationic dye removal. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Characterizations, Properties, and Applications of Polymers with Graphene)
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16 pages, 5302 KiB  
Article
Synergistic Effects of Graphene and Ammonium Polyphosphate Modified with Vinyltrimethoxysilane on the Properties of High-Impact Polystyrene Composites
by Xianghui Shi, Yong Pan, Yuguo Wang, Zhimeng Jia, Tingting Chen, Junhui Gong and Juncheng Jiang
Polymers 2021, 13(6), 881; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13060881 - 13 Mar 2021
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 2825
Abstract
Ammonium polyphosphate (APP) was modified with a silane coupling agent (vinyltrimethoxysilane, Si-171), and then the synergistic flame retarding effect of graphene and surface-modified APP (APP@Si-171) on high-impact polystyrene (HIPS) was investigated. Surface modification and thermal stability characterization of APP were analyzed by Fourier [...] Read more.
Ammonium polyphosphate (APP) was modified with a silane coupling agent (vinyltrimethoxysilane, Si-171), and then the synergistic flame retarding effect of graphene and surface-modified APP (APP@Si-171) on high-impact polystyrene (HIPS) was investigated. Surface modification and thermal stability characterization of APP were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The results showed that surface-modified APP (APP@Si-171) exhibited significantly better dispersion and less agglomeration tendencies compared with pure APP. A series of target HIPS composites containing different mass fractions of the two flame retardants were prepared by melt blending. TGA and cone calorimeter tests (CCT) were conducted to quantitatively investigate the thermal and flammability properties of the composites, respectively. Results from TGA and CCT demonstrated that the addition of the flame retardants delayed the onset and peak temperatures in differential thermogravimetry (DTG) curves and weakened the peak heat release rate (PHRR) and total heat release (THR). Moreover, the synergistic effect index (SE) was employed to quantify the synergistic behavior between the two fillers, and the results showed that APP@Si-171 and graphene had a synergistic effect on improving the thermal stability and flame retardancy of HIPS. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Characterizations, Properties, and Applications of Polymers with Graphene)
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15 pages, 5206 KiB  
Communication
Enhanced Osteogenic Differentiation of Periodontal Ligament Stem Cells Using a Graphene Oxide-Coated Poly(ε-caprolactone) Scaffold
by Jiyong Park, Sangbae Park, Jae Eun Kim, Kyoung-Je Jang, Hoon Seonwoo and Jong Hoon Chung
Polymers 2021, 13(5), 797; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13050797 - 5 Mar 2021
Cited by 25 | Viewed by 2811
Abstract
Periodontal diseases occur through bacterial infection in the oral cavity, which can cause alveolar bone loss. Several efforts have been made to reconstruct alveolar bone, such as grafting bone substitutes and 3D-printed scaffolds. Poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) is biocompatible and biodegradable, thus demonstrating its potential [...] Read more.
Periodontal diseases occur through bacterial infection in the oral cavity, which can cause alveolar bone loss. Several efforts have been made to reconstruct alveolar bone, such as grafting bone substitutes and 3D-printed scaffolds. Poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) is biocompatible and biodegradable, thus demonstrating its potential as a biomaterial substitute; however, it is difficult for cells to adhere to PCL because of its strong hydrophobicity. Therefore, its use as a biomaterial has limitations. In this study, we used graphene oxide (GO) as a coating material to promote the osteogenic differentiation ability of PCL scaffolds. First, 3D-printed PCL scaffolds were fabricated, and the oxygen plasma treatment and coating conditions were established according to the concentration of GO. The physical and chemical properties of the prepared scaffolds were evaluated through water contact angle analysis, Raman spectroscopy, and image analysis. In addition, the adhesion and proliferation of periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) on the GO scaffolds were assessed via the water-soluble tetrazolium salt-1 (WST-1) assay, and the osteogenic differentiation ability was evaluated through alizarin red S staining. The results confirmed that the cell proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of the PDLSCs were enhanced in the scaffolds coated with oxygen plasma and GO. In conclusion, the plasma-treated GO-coating method that we developed can be used to promote the cell proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of the scaffolds. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Characterizations, Properties, and Applications of Polymers with Graphene)
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