Thermostable and Impermeable “Nano-Barrier Walls” Constructed by Poly(lactic acid) Stereocomplex Crystal Decorated Graphene Oxide Nanosheets

In contrast to the relatively clear understanding of epitaxial crystallization induced by one-dimensional nanofillers, the underlying interfacial interactions between polymer crystals and two-dimensional graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets are something of a mystery. Here, the GO-assisted formation of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) stereocomplex crystals (SCs) is disclosed from the quantitative structural analysis to the direct morphological observations at multiscale and the interaction mechanism at the molecular level. It is unexpected to observe that the edges of GO featuring rich grooves and ultralow thickness were ready to induce a layer of ordered lamellae, in clear contrast to the random growth of lamellae on the basal planes. The origin of GO-induced crystallization was appraised from the interaction point of view as indicated by the evident red-shift of a set of functional groups in the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy spectra. More importantly, the GO nanosheets, albeit presented at an extremely low ...