A Photoaddressable Liquid Crystalline Phase Transition in Graphene Oxide Nanocomposites
View/ Open
Pagination
1900738 - 1900738
Publisher
DOI
10.1002/adfm.201900738
Journal
Advanced Functional Materials
ISSN
1616-301X
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
The multifunctionality of graphene has the potential to unlock important developments in nanocomposite science. However, the manipulation of graphene without interfering with its unique properties and while controlling its spatial organization remains challenging. Here, the formation of a photoaddressable liquid crystalline (LC) solution through the stabilization of graphene oxide (GO) with photocleavable brushes is described. The LC behavior leads to the thermodynamic entrapment of GO into low aspect ratio domains that fail to display the properties typically predicted for graphene nanocomposites. The morphology and structural and electronic performance of these nanocomposites are regenerated through the brush cleavage, which controls the phase transition of the LC phase. These results show that kinetic control of graphene assembly can be an attractive tool toward the dynamic regulation of processable sol states and structured percolated networks for rational composite manufacturing.