Flexible Nanocomposites Based on Polydimethylsiloxane Matrices with DNA-Modified Graphene Filler: Curing Behavior by Differential Scanning Calorimetry

Novel silicone-based nanocomposites with varied elastic properties were prepared by blending standard polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) with a lower viscosity component (hydroxyl-terminated PDMS) and integrating a graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) filler modified by strands of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). The curing behavior of these nanocomposites was studied by dynamic and isothermal differential scanning calorimetry. The activation energies of the polymerization reactions were determined using the Kissinger method and two model-free isoconversional approaches, the Ozawa–Flynn–Wall and the Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose methods. Results show that the complex trend of the curing behavior can be described using the isoconversional methods, unveiling lower activation energies for the nanocomposites with standard PDMS matrices. The role of the DNA modification of graphene on the curing behavior is also demonstrated. The curing reactions of the nanocomposites with the PDMS matrix are favored by the presence of the GNP–DNA filler. PDMS/PDMS–OH blends generate softer nanocomposites with hardness and reduced elastic modulus that can be tuned by varying the amount of the filler.