Preparation and enhanced mechanical properties of non-covalently-functionalized graphene oxide/cellulose acetate nanocomposites

Sulfonated poly (ether-ether-ketone) (SPEEK) was selected as a surface modifying agent to prepare non-covalently functionalized reduced graphene oxide (NFrGO) followed by the development of NFrGO/cellulose acetate (CA) nanocomposite (NFrGO-CANC) through solution mixing. The formation of the nanocomposite was governed via the hydrogen bonding interactions among the -SO₃H group of NFrGO and -OH/-C=O groups of CA. NFrGO-CANC was characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy, FT-IR, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry analysis. The tensile strength of the NFrGO-CANC increased significantly with increasing NFrGO loading. The tensile strength and modulus of the NFrGO-CANC with 1.5 wt.% NFrGO were improved by ∼102 and 143%, respectively, compared to those of pure CA. The onset degradation temperature and oxygen gas barrier properties of the NFrGO-CANC also were enhanced with increasing NFrGO loading up to 1.5 wt.% compared to those of pure CA film.