Comparison of two kinds of liquid crystalline monomers with different mesogenic units grafted graphene oxide on thermal and mechanical properties of epoxy nanocomposite materials

• Published in: Liquid crystals 2021-09, Vol.48 (12), p.1671-1684
• Main Authors: Hu, Bing, Cong, Yue-Hua, Zhang, Bao-Yan, Zhang, Lei, Huang, Hao-Zhou
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: biphenyl base; graphene oxide; Liquid crystalline monomers; Schiff base; thermal and mechanical properties
• ISSN: 0267-8292; 1366-5855
• DOI: 10.1080/02678292.2021.1897891

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 T d5% 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 T d5% 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.