title: Effectively Exerting the Reinforcement of Dopamine Reduced Graphene Oxide on Epoxy-Based Composites via Strengthened Interfacial Bonding.
abstract: The effects of dopamine reduced graphene oxide (pDop-rGO) on the curing activity and mechanical properties of epoxy-based composites were evaluated. Taking advantage of self-polymerization of mussel-inspired dopamine, pDop-rGO was prepared through simultaneous functionalization and reduction of graphene oxide (GO) via polydopamine coating. Benefiting from the universal binding ability of polydopamine, good dispersion of pDop-rGO in epoxy matrix was able to be achieved as the content of pDop-rGO being below 0.2 wt %. Curing kinetics of epoxy composites with pDop-rGO were systematically studied by nonisothermal differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Compared to the systems of neat epoxy or epoxy composites containing GO, epoxy composites loaded with pDop-rGO showed lower activation energy (Eα) over the range of cure (α). It revealed that the amino-bearing pDop-rGO was able to react with epoxy matrix and enhance the curing reactions as an amine-type curing agent. The nature of the interactions at GO-epoxy interface was further evaluated by Raman spectroscopy, confirming the occurrence of chemical bonding. The strengthened interfacial adhesion between pDop-rGO and epoxy matrix thus enhanced the effective stress transfer in the composites. Accordingly, the tensile and flexural properties of EP/pDop-rGO composites were enhanced due to both the well dispersion and strong interfacial bonding of pDop-rGO in epoxy matrix.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology , Beijing 100029, P. R. China.|Changzhou Institute of Advanced Materials, Beijing University of Chemical Technology , Jiangsu 213164, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Wenbin
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology , Beijing 100029, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Tinghua
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology , Beijing 100029, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Wengang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology , Beijing 100029, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Huichuan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Aerospace Research Institute of Materials and Processing Technology , Beijing 100076, China.
authors.forename: Song
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology , Beijing 100029, P. R. China.|Changzhou Institute of Advanced Materials, Beijing University of Chemical Technology , Jiangsu 213164, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Xiaolong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology , Beijing 100029, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology , Beijing 100029, P. R. China.|Changzhou Institute of Advanced Materials, Beijing University of Chemical Technology , Jiangsu 213164, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Xiaoping
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
keywords: curing kinetics; dopamine; epoxy; graphene oxide; nonisothermal differential scanning