Flourishing An Electrochemical Synthetic Route Toward Carbon Black-Intercalated Graphene As A Neoteric Hybrid Nanofiller For Multifunctional Polymer Nanocomposites (Vol 60, Pg 5758, 2021)

This research work presents a creative and facile process for intercalation of graphite layers with the use of carbon black (CB) spacers, opening up the graphite layers to the nanolevel and producing a hybrid nanostructure. This unique tri-component three-dimensional hybrid structure, which consisted of graphene sheets exfoliated with graphene platelets and CB nanoparticle spacers, was extensively characterized by various sophisticated techniques. This surfactant-assisted electrolysis produced graphene with three layers on average. Disaggregated CB particles keep the graphene layers separated, and the material was structurally stable in water dispersion for more than a week. Such a water-dispersible filler was particularly suitable for a latex-based nanocomposite and typically advantageous concerning the dispersion of graphene-type fillers in polymers. This specifically tailored nanomaterial acted as a proficient functional filler for polymer nanocomposites, and upon incorporation in the styrene-butadiene rubber latex, the filler was brilliantly reinforcing, resulting in a 34% enhancement in the ultimate tensile strength and a 72% increase in the modulus of the rubber. The resultant polymer nanocomposite also unveiled multifunctional properties including a high specific capacitance, such as 244 F/g, and room-temperature magnetic hysteresis with fairly low remnant magnetization. This approach toward the fabrication of metal-free soft magnets comprising a carbon-based nanostructure in a polymeric matrix is scarce, and the study introduces the scope for utilization of similar composite materials in electronic as well as spintronic applications such as flexible supercapacitors even in clinically designed rubber shoes and smart tires.