Alkyl-functionalized graphene nanosheets with improved lipophilicity

Graphene nanosheets grafted with long alkyl chains were produced by simply using an amidation reaction. Compared with unmodified counterparts, the alkyl-functionalized graphene nanosheets show largely enhanced lipophilicity, as illustrated by their remarkably improved dispersion in the nonpolar solvents and polypropylene matrix. The polypropylene/alkylated nanosheets composites exhibit largely improved thermal stability, which suggests that this lipophilization method is a potential technique for developing high-performance composites.