Synthesis, characterization, and multilayer assembly of pH sensitive graphene-polymer nanocomposites

Abstract

pH sensitive graphene-polymer composites have been prepared by the modification of graphene basal planes with pyrene-terminated poly(2-N,N′-(dimethyl amino ethyl acrylate) (PDMAEA) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) via π-π stacking. The pyrene-terminal PDMAEA and PAA were synthesized using reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization with a pyrene-functional RAFTagent. The graphene-polymer composites were found to demonstrate phase transfer behavior between aqueous and organic media at different pH values. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis revealed that the thicknesses of the graphene-polymer sheets were approximately 3.0 nm when prepared using PDMAEA (Mn: 6800 and ..