Graphene Oxide Epoxy (GO-xy): GO as Epoxy Adhesive by Interfacial Reaction of Functionalities

The unique combination of layered structure and chemical moieties grants very interesting physiochemical properties to graphene oxide (GO). Functional groups such as epoxide, hydroxyl, and carboxyl are abundantly distributed along the hexagonal lattice of carbon atoms. The superior properties of GO and increased interfacial interaction with other compounds make them excellent filler materials in polymers such as epoxies for creating multifunctional composites. Alternatively, the presence of epoxide group on GO opens up the possibility of using it as the major epoxy matrix constituent rather than just as a filler material. In this work, the formation of GO-xy (cross-linked GO via the epoxide functionality) resin is reported by reaction of GO with polymercaptan-based hardener by completely eliminating the need for conventional epoxy component. Substituting epoxy with GO marks notable advance in preparing adhesive materials with high temperature stability.