Polystyrene-graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposite synthesized by interfacial interactions between RAFT modified GO and core-shell polymeric nanoparticles.

Here we report simple and robust one-pot method for the preparation of polystyrene (PS)/graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposite using reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) modified GO in surfactant free emulsion polymerization (SFEP). The results suggested that ionic comonomer, styrene sulfonate sodium salt (SS-Na), concentration plays vital role in forming PS/GO nanocomposite. X-ray and electron diffraction studies suggest that there is no recombination of GO sheets when moderate SS-Na concentration is used, resulting complete exfoliation of GO sheets in the PS/GO nanocomposite. The formation of core-shell particles in which PS is the core and polystyrene sulfonate sodium salt (PSS-Na) is the shell, and the specific interactions between functional groups of GO and PSS-Na are attributed as the driving forces for the PS/GO nanocomposite formation.