Abstract
We used soluble graphene derivatives to fabricate gas barrier coatings on the surface of several industrially relevant commodity polymers. The coatings are prepared using electrochemically exfoliated graphene oxide, featuring both monoatomic thickness and micron-scale lateral size, showing better gas barrier performance as compared to films of commercial graphene products. A 74% decrease of oxygen transmission rate is found using loadings as low as 0.4 wt. % (0.2 vol. %). The coating process is performed using a combination of solution processing, filtering, and transfer. It is a robust and versatile approach, working with different transfer processes, different starting graphite materials and a wide range of well-known polymeric substrates: poly(ethylene terephthalate), poly(lactic acid), poly(hexamethylene adipamide), poly(propylene), and poly(vinyl chloride). The use of 2D sheets as surface coatings instead of bulk additives overcomes common issues related to dispersion of graphene in a polymer matrix, and gives a clear advantage in preserving the mechanical properties of the bulk polymer. Furthermore, it is a scalable approach able to significantly improve the barrier properties of polymeric films for large-scale applications.
Highlights
State the objectives of the work and provide an adequate background, avoiding a detailed literature survey or a summary of the results
Material and methods Provide sufficient details to allow the work to be reproduced by an independent researcher
The main conclusions of the study may be presented in a short Conclusions section, which may stand alone or form a subsection of a Discussion or Results and Discussion section
Summary
State the objectives of the work and provide an adequate background, avoiding a detailed literature survey or a summary of the results. Formulae and equations in appendices should be given separate numbering: Eq (A.1), Eq (A.2), etc.; in a subsequent appendix, Eq (B.1) and so on. Present the authors' affiliation addresses (where the actual work was done) below the names. Ensure that the e-mail address is given and that contact details are kept up to date by the corresponding author.
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