A simple and efficient route was established to prepare reduced graphene oxide (denoted as r-GO) nanosheets. By reducing and modifying GO with a series of commercially available hydramines including monoethanolamine (denoted as MEA), diethanolamine (denoted as DEA) and triethanolamine (denoted as TEA), r-GOs with high reduction level and conductivity as well as desired dispersibility in deionized water and water-borne polyurethane (denoted as WPU) matrix were successfully obtained. It was found that as-prepared r-GOs, in particular, those r-GOs reduced and modified by MEA and DEA (corresponding reduced and modified graphene nanosheets are denoted as MGS and DGS), exhibit greatly improved dispersibility in water and WPU matrix and improve evidently the mechanical properties of WPU matrix. In the meantime, MGS exhibits multiaperture structure and desired electric conductivity, which adds to its potential as a candidate electrode material for supercapacitors. In one word, the present approach could help to broaden the application scope of graphene nanosheets and open a new door to developing novel high performance polymer-matrix composites (denoted as PMCs). (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.