Synthesis of Amphiphilic Graphene Nanoplatelets

Amphiphilic graphene nanoplatelets were synthesized by exfoliation of graphite oxide (GO) into individual SO sheets followed by their in situ reduction of produced individual graphene sheets. Polymer decomposition during thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) experiments in the presence of graphene follows a different pathway to that of the copolymer alone, which indicates that graphene nanoplatelets are grafted on the polymer. The dispersion of nanoplatelets in water occurs by association with the hydrophobic PS blocks, while the hydrophilic PAM blocks extend into water and impart dispersibility through steric stabilization. PS-PAM copolymer molecules covalently wrap themselves around the surface of graphene nanoplatelets, which disrupts the van der Walls interactions and leads to isolation of the nanoplatelets in solution.