Designing of nano silver hybrid graphene oxide reinforced polymer composites for packaging application

Abstract

Among different nanostructures materials, graphene is applied to versatile fields because newlineof its high surface area, high electron mobility, light weight, high mechanical, thermal and newlineantimicrobial properties and low cost fabrication route. Structurally, graphene can be tuned with newlineselective processing route to generate other graphene analogues (GO, r-GO, etc). The highly newlineaqueous dispersible graphene oxide is highly acclaimed towards various applications. Among newlinevarious technical fields, packaging technology takes care of our daily needs by controlling the newlinesafety storage and hygienic handling of the packed materials. For packaging application, newlinegraphene based polymer nanocomposites are used for high thermal, mechanical, gas-barrier and newlineantimicrobial performances. Use of metal nanoparticles in graphene oxide reduces the newlineprobability of stacking with graphene sheets during reduction process as well as imparts newlineadvanced properties due to synergistic effects. Although, graphene oxide based polymer newlinenanocomposites are huge in the literature, but the use of graphene oxide with potential metal newlinenanoparticles as hybrid filler to enhance the physical and chemical properties of the polymer newlinenanocomposites are rare in the literature. The nano barrier activity along with high mechanical newlineand thermal stability of graphene analogues are the prime factors for choosing these materials as newlinefiller for this application. Further higher antimicrobial activity of GO in comparison to rGO and newlineeasy water dispersibility are the reasons for preferential use of GO. The main objectives of the newlinepresent thesis are to design graphene oxide and graphene oxide anchored metal nanoparticle newlinebased polymer nanocomposites for packaging application. To execute our aim, we have selected newlinetwo synthetic polymers, polyethyl methacrylate (PEMA), polystyrene (PS). Also to induce newlinebiodegradability and biocompatibility to the synthetic polymers, starch has been chosen as newlinebiopolymer to prepare hybrid polymers. newlineHere, we have prepared the reduced grap