A promising nanohybrid of silicon carbide nanowires scrolled by graphene oxide sheets with a synergistic effect for poly(propylene carbonate) nanocomposites

Abstract

A facile method to construct scroll-like nanohybrids combining one dimensional ceramic silicon carbide (SiC) nanowires with 2D graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets is presented. The SiC/GO nanohybrids with an oxygen-containing GO outer surface, which are easily and stably dispersed in water and various organic solvents, can be used as a new type of nanofiller for the preparation of easily dispersed poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC)-based nanocomposites using a simple physical blending procedure. The scroll-like structure of the SiC/GO nanohybrids enhances adhesion and the compatibility of SiC with PPC, while preventing the GO sheets from aggregating face-to-face in the PPC. The PPC-based nanocomposites, incorporated with SiC/GO nanohybrids, show synergistic effects with superior thermal, mechanical, shape memory and barrier properties compared to those made as individual (i.e. SiC or GO enhanced) PPC nanocomposites. An optimal performance PPC–SiC/GO nanocomposite that showed improvements in both the glass transition temperature (T_g) and the thermal degradation temperature (T_d) was obtained with 0.1 wt% SiC/GO.