Poly(styrene-maleic anhydride) functionalized graphene oxide.

ABSTRACT In this study, poly(styrene-maleic anhydride) functionalized graphene oxide (SMAFG) was fabricated with in situ polymerization. The sample was characterized with Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, transmission electron microscopy, and ultraviolet-visible absorption. The results of the experiments show that the thermal stability of SMAFG was improved significantly, and it also possessed a good dispersion in N,N-dimethylformamide, N,N-dimethylacetamide, aniline, and certain organic solvents. The calculated Hildebrand parameter of SMAFG was 23.8 MPa^1/2. This new method will broaden the applications of graphene, and the experiment showed that it could effectively improve the strength of polyamide 6 (PA6) compared with the pure PA6 fiber. The tensile strength of the SMAFG/PA6 composite fiber improved 29%, and the Young's modulus improved 33%, so this kind of functionalized graphene oxide can be used in the preparation of polymeric composites. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 41987. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]