Synthesis of Hybrid Polymer Modifier (HPM) Nanomaterials with Improved Dispersion in Epoxy Resins

Epoxy resins exhibit good thermal stability, excellent chemical resistance, and enhanced modulus. Despite the favorable properties of epoxy resins, their high crosslink density causes them to be inherently brittle. Recent studies have focused on the potential of carbon-based nanomaterials such as GO to address these issues in epoxies. However, the presence of oxygen within these functional groups could degrade GO thermo-oxidatively and result in the loss of valuable properties of pristine graphene. Past research has reported the successful grafting of GO with suitable molecules like POSS to optimize thermal stability. In this work, a hybrid polymer modifier (HPM) has been developed by grafting Methacryl Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxanes (MAPOSS) to GO via a redox reaction. HPM was characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), Raman analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy, Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). XRF analysis showed that 10.2 mass% of silicon was added to GO due to the MAPOSS grafting. Furthermore, Raman analysis confirmed the increased structural distortion of GO induced by the incorporation of MAPOSS ((ID/IG) HPM= 1.43, (ID/IG) GO = 1.30). The dispersion of HPM was studied using optical microscopy in Epoxy.