(393ar) Effect of Graphene Oxide On Thermal and Morphological Behavior of Polybenzoxazine Aerogels

Graphene-based nanocomposites have received huge attention in many areas of science and engineering because the nanoscale dispersion of graphene enhances many properties including mechanical, thermal, and morphological behavior compared with the pure polymers or conventional composites. Polybenzoxazines are a versatile class of thermosetting polymers that possess many desirable physical properties. To the best of our knowledge, the properties of polybenzoxazine nanocomposite aerogels containing graphene oxide have not yet been investigated. Herein we report graphene-based nanocomposite aerogels of polybenzoxazine, which are prepared via freeze-drying. The preparation of graphene oxide was confirmed using Raman spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR). Benzoxazine precursors were synthesized using 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde as phenolic component, paraformaldehyde, and two different functional polyetheramines. The chemical structures of the benzoxazine precursors were confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H-NMR) and (FT-IR).The morphological, surface, and thermal properties of the aerogels obtained were examined and compared with the neat polybenzoxazine aerogels. The structure of the aerogels determined using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) will be reported. The thermal behavior of the hybrid aerogels was characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The effect of graphene oxide on the ring-opening polymerization of benzoxazine was also evaluated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Potential applications of these novel highly porous and low density aerogels will be discussed.