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Enhanced Mechanical and Antibacterial Properties of Nanocomposites Based on Poly(vinyl Alcohol) and Biopolymer-Derived Reduced Graphene Oxide

Functionalized graphene–polymer nanocomposites have gained significant attention for their enhanced mechanical, thermal, and antibacterial properties, but the requirement of multi-step processes or hazardous reducing agents to functionalize graphene limits their current applications. Here, we presen...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Cho, Beom-Gon, Joshi, Shalik Ram, Lee, Seongjin, Kim, Shin-Kwan, Park, Young-Bin, Kim, Gun-Ho
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: MDPI 2021
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7923123/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33670700
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/polym13040615
Descripción
Sumario:Functionalized graphene–polymer nanocomposites have gained significant attention for their enhanced mechanical, thermal, and antibacterial properties, but the requirement of multi-step processes or hazardous reducing agents to functionalize graphene limits their current applications. Here, we present a single-step synthesis of thermally reduced graphene oxide (TrGO) based on shellac, which is a low-cost biopolymer that can be employed to produce poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/TrGO nanocomposites (PVA–TrGO). The concentration of TrGO varied from 0.1 to 2.0 wt.%, and the critical concentration of homogeneous TrGO dispersion was observed to be 1.5 wt.%, below which strong interfacial molecular interactions between the TrGO and the PVA matrix resulted in improved thermal and mechanical properties. At 1.5 wt.% filler loading, the tensile strength and modulus of the PVA–TrGO nanocomposite were increased by 98.7% and 97.4%, respectively, while the storage modulus was increased by 69%. Furthermore, the nanocomposite was 96% more effective in preventing bacterial colonization relative to the neat PVA matrix. The present findings indicate that TrGO can be considered a promising material for potential applications in biomedical devices.