Straightforward Strategy Toward In Situ Water-Phase Exfoliation and Improved Interfacial Adhesion to Fabricate High-Performance Polypropylene/Graphene Nanocomposites

Graphene is a potential candidate for achieving high-performanceand multifunctional polypropylene (PP) composites. However, the complexmanufacturing process and low dispersibility of graphene, as wellas poor interfacial adhesion between graphene and polypropylene chains,stifle progress on large-scale production and applications of graphene/polypropylenecomposites. Here, we develop a strategy of maleic anhydride graftedpolypropylene (MAPP) latex-assisted graphene exfoliation and meltblending to address the key challenges facing in industrial production.The surface property of the graphitic precursor is well-designed toachieve a high graphene exfoliation yield of & SIM;100% and induceabundant hydrogen bonding between the obtained mild-oxidized graphene(MOG) sheets and MAPP chains. Therefore, the MAPP-modified MOG canhomogeneously disperse in the PP matrix and exhibits an excellentinterfacial compatibility with the polymer. The addition of 5 wt %MOG results in simultaneous increase in the initial decompositiontemperature, crystallization temperature, tensile strength, and Young & PRIME;smodulus by 43.2, 11.4 & DEG;C, 21.5, and 50.7%, respectively, andthe electrical conductivity increases to 0.02 S & BULL;m(-1). This work illustrates a practical solution to low-cost, eco-friendly,and feasible industrial production of graphene/PP composites throughsynchronous exfoliation and interfacial modification of graphene.