Enhanced interfacial interaction between polycarbonate and thermally reduced graphene induced by melt blending

Abstract Melt blending is the most economically choice to disperse graphene into polymer matrix because of its high efficiency, easy to scale up, and no solvent is involved. Therefore, it is meaningful to generate an enhanced interfacial interaction directly through melt blending of graphene and polymers. In this study, the effect of melt blending on the interfacial interaction between thermally reduced graphene oxide (TRG) and polycarbonate (PC) had been investigated. Ultracentrifugation of the melt-mixed PC/TRG composite solutions led to dark-colored supernatants, indicating the improved dispersion of TRG in some solvents, suggesting the existence of enhanced interfacial interaction between TRG and PC. The shift of C O stretching vibration of PC (interacted with TRG) in the FT-IR spectra as well as the shift of absorption peak of phenyl groups in the UV–vis spectra suggested the formation of chemical bonding between the carbonate groups in PC chains and the carboxyl groups on TRG through transesterification and the formation of noncovalent π–π stacking interaction between PC and TRG during melt blending. Furthermore, the effect of melt blending on mechanical reinforcement of the PC/TRG composites was also evaluated.