Designer stabilizer for preparation of pristine graphene/polysiloxane films and networks?

Nanoscale Pub Date: 2014-07-29 DOI: 10.1039/C4NR01431F

Abstract

A conductive polymer film containing pristine graphene was prepared by designing a polysiloxane-based stabilizer for graphene. The stabilizer was prepared by grafting 1-ethynylpyrene to the backbone of a poly(dimethylsiloxane)-co-(methylhydrosiloxane) (PDMS-PHMS) random copolymer by Pt-catalyzed hydrosilylation with a SiH–ethynyl ratio of 1.0?:?1.3. The resulting copolymer was able to stabilize pristine graphene in chloroform solution via π–π interactions between the pyrene groups and graphene sheets. TEM and SEM images show a homogeneous distribution of the graphene in cast films deposited from chloroform. The conductivity of a graphene/PDMS film prepared from copolymer with a 1.7 vol.% graphene loading was measured as 220 S m?1 after the removal of unbound polymer by a simple separation technique. With a SiH–ethynyl ratio of 1.7?:?1.0, the copolymer self-crosslinked at 110 °C in the presence of adventitious moisture, providing a straightforward route to incorporate graphene into silicone elastomers. The crosslinking process (with and without added graphene) was characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy and by swelling and extraction of the obtained networks. Again, unbound polymer removal increases the conductivity of the composite.

Graphical abstract: Designer stabilizer for preparation of pristine graphene/polysiloxane films and networks
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