Comparison of two kinds of liquid crystalline monomers with different mesogenic units grafted graphene oxide on thermal and mechanical properties of epoxy nanocomposite materials

Two kinds of liquid crystalline monomers with different mesogenic units grafted graphene oxide (M2-g-GO and M4-g-GO) were successfully synthesised to enhance thermal and mechanical properties of nanocomposites, owing to the improvement of dispersion and interface interaction between the fillers (M2-g-GO and M4-g-GO) and the epoxy matrix (DGEBA, E-51). And the structures and comprehensive properties of M2-g-GO, M4-g-GO, and their nanocomposites were analysed using FTIR, SEM, XRD, Raman, DSC, TGA, and POM tests. Compared with the neat epoxy and 3 wt% GO/epoxy composites, thermal properties of M2-g-GO/epoxy and M4-g-GO/epoxy nanocomposites were obviously improved, meanwhile, mechanical property measures prove M2-g-GO/epoxy and M4-g-GO/epoxy nanocomposites that exhibit higher impact strength, flexural strength and modulus. For example, the T (d5%) of epoxy nanocomposites with 1, 2, 3, and 4 wt% M2-g-GO were around 385 degrees C, which was about 15 degrees C larger than that of the neat epoxy. The T (d5%) of epoxy nanocomposites with 2 and 3 wt% M4-g-GO were 383 degrees C and 388 degrees C, respectively, which was about 13 degrees C and 18 degrees C larger than that of the neat epoxy. In a word, the M2-g-GO and M4-g-GO as fillers exhibit underlying feasibility to improve thermal and mechanical properties of nanocomposites.