Tailoring the characteristics of graphite oxide nanosheets for the production of high-performance poly(vinyl alcohol) composites

The extent of oxidation of graphite oxide (GO) was tailored by adjusting the amount of oxidant during oxidation. The characteristics of GOs with different degrees of oxidation and their corresponding exfoliated GO nanosheets (GONS) were investigated. It was found that the less oxidized GONS possessed 3–4 layers with much fewer structural defects. Mechanical testing of the resultant poly(vinyl alcohol)-based composites demonstrated that the less oxidized GONS was more effective than fully oxidized single-layered GONS in terms of reinforcing polymers. The reinforcement effect was discussed and confirmed by the Halpin–Tsai model. The results may provide an alternative for the fabrication of low-cost and high-performance graphene/polymer composites.