Construction of hierarchical architectures with 2D rare earth metal phenylphosphate and graphene analogues for high-performance flame-retardant epoxy composites

Epoxy resin (EP) is extensively employed in construction on account of its exceptional comprehensive performance. However, its inherent fire hazards and insufficient mechanical properties pose significant safety issues. In this study, a CPM (CeHPP@PDA@MoS₂) hybrid material with hierarchical architectures was constructed using electrostatically driven self-assembly technology. Following the introduction of 2D rare-earth metal phenylphosphate (CeHPP) into the graphene analogue MoS₂ via PDA surface functionalization, the PDA-induced hierarchical structure effectively mitigated the stacking and re-agglomeration of MoS₂. Moreover, it significantly enhanced the interfacial adhesion between MoS₂ and EP, thus leading to notable improvements in the thermal stability, flame retardancy, and mechanical performance of EP composites. Relative to pure EP, the peak heat release rate (PHRR), total heat release (THR), peak smoke production rate (PSPR), and total smoke production (TSP) of the EP/CPM 2.0 composite showed marked decreases, by 46.6 %, 21.1 %, 39.8 %, and 45.4 %, respectively. Furthermore, the char yield of the EP composites demonstrated a growth to 25 %, up from an initial 7 %. The flexural and tensile strengths of the EP/CPM 2.0 composites were reinforced by 40.8 % and 31.6 %, respectively. The flame retardant and mechanical reinforcement mechanisms were explored. This research identifies a novel methodological avenue for engineering high-performance epoxy composites.