Efficient reinforcement of epoxy resin with amine-rich rigid short-chain grafted graphene oxide

For improving the mechanical properties of epoxy resin (EP), it is an effective strategy to utilize surface-modified graphene oxide (GO) as a reinforcement. However, there is nearly no report on surface modification using rigid short-chain grafted GO, especially with multiple reactive sites. In this work, a novel surface functionalization of GO with an amine-rich rigid short-chain was successfully prepared and applied as a filler for EP with simultaneously high toughness and mechanical strength. Superior toughness and mechanical strength of the resultant epoxy nanocomposite can be obtained by grafting amine-rich rigid short-chain onto GO (DHN-GO) owing to the enhanced interface binding ability with the EP and the optimized dispersibility in the matrix. Compared with the pure EP, the epoxy nanocomposites at an extremely low loading (0.75 wt‰) of DHN-GO showed excellent mechanical properties. The tensile strength, elongation at break, and bending strength are increased by 28%, 37%, and 29%, respectively. This work is expected to provide more inspiration for the preparation of GO/EP composites with high toughness and mechanical strength.