ABSTRACT
Two kinds of liquid crystalline monomers with different mesogenic units grafted graphene oxide (M2-g-GO and M4-g-GO) were successfully synthesised to enhance thermal and mechanical properties of nanocomposites, owing to the improvement of dispersion and interface interaction between the fillers (M2-g-GO and M4-g-GO) and the epoxy matrix (DGEBA, E-51). And the structures and comprehensive properties of M2-g-GO, M4-g-GO, and their nanocomposites were analysed using FTIR, SEM, XRD, Raman, DSC, TGA, and POM tests. Compared with the neat epoxy and 3 wt% GO/epoxy composites, thermal properties of M2-g-GO/epoxy and M4-g-GO/epoxy nanocomposites were obviously improved, meanwhile, mechanical property measures prove M2-g-GO/epoxy and M4-g-GO/epoxy nanocomposites that exhibit higher impact strength, flexural strength and modulus. For example, the Td5% of epoxy nanocomposites with 1, 2, 3, and 4 wt% M2-g-GO were around 385°C, which was about 15°C larger than that of the neat epoxy. The Td5% of epoxy nanocomposites with 2 and 3 wt% M4-g-GO were 383°C and 388°C, respectively, which was about 13°C and 18°C larger than that of the neat epoxy. In a word, the M2-g-GO and M4-g-GO as fillers exhibit underlying feasibility to improve thermal and mechanical properties of nanocomposites.
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Supplementary material
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