Ultra-strong polyethyleneimine-graphene oxide nanocomposite film via synergistic interactions and its use for humidity sensing

The ternary roles of polyethyleneimine (PEI) as a polymer matirx, a reducing agent and a surface modifier have been presented to fabricate graphene oxide (GO) reinforced polymer nanocomposite films. GO is modified with PEI-glycerol diglycidyl ether (GDE) cross-linking networks in aqueous solution and in situ reduced by PEI simultaneously. Synergistic reinforcement of mechanical interlocking and hydrogen bonding leads to dramatic increases in tensile strength and Young’s modulus by 98.3% and 87% respectively, at 7.5 wt% GO loading of PEI. The partial reduced GO sheets serve as moisture barriers for water-soluble PEI, and the nanocomposite films are shown to be structurally robust humidity sensors over the relative humidity (RH) range of 40–90%.