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Polymer Bulletin, Vol.75, No.12, 5843-5858, 2018
Amine-functionalized graphene sheet-induced highly dissipative interfacial regions in photo-polymeric networks containing self-dispersed nano-gel particles
Herein, a urethane-based photo-polymeric network containing low content of amine-modified graphene sheets (GSs) was characterized. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), wide-angle X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were used to investigate the morphological properties of the modified GSs. SEM, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and dynamical mechanical analysis techniques were also employed to study the physico-mechanical properties of the photo-polymeric network containing amine-functionalized GSs. We showed that amine groups attached to the GSs can lead to a new interfacial stress concentrator layer around GSs. This new interfacial layer formation was explained on the basis of the oxygen-scavenging effect of the amine groups. Also, by using AFM data the thickness of the high-modulus interfacial layer was estimated to be between 1 and 3 microns. Furthermore, the dynamic fragility index and the cooperatively rearranging (CRR) size corresponding to the highly cross-linked interfacial layer were found to be 74 and 6, respectively. The dynamic fragility index of the nano-gel particle was also obtained to be the lowest (37). Finally, it was shown that the incorporation of amine-modified GSs into the photo-polymeric network not only can offer higher dissipation factor but also increases the temperature corresponding to the maximum damping factor.
Keywords:Graphene sheets;Photo-polymerization;Dynamical mechanical properties;Self-dispersed nano-gel;Viscous-like matrix;Fragility index