ABSTRACT
Dispersion of sp2 carbon materials such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene in polymer matrices is considered to be essential for effectively utilizing the material in its primary structure. A great number of literatures have focused on the chemical modications on the nanomaterials’ surface through covalent bonding reactions; however, the methods are generally disadvantageous because of the possible disruption of the π-surface conjugation and the decrease of electric, optical, and thermal properties. Other methods of using polymeric dispersants for non-covalent bonding interaction with the target materials could also reach a homogeneous dispersion while maintaining the intrinsic characteristics without disrupting the covalent bonds of the materials. This review covers both methods of covalent and non-covalent interactions with the π-surface of sp2 carbons including CNT and graphene, but emphasizing on the new developments of polymeric dispersants for achieving dispersion homogeneity and stability. In addition, the homogeneous dispersion could be the precursors for hybridizing metal nanoparticles (NPs) such as Ag and Pt to produce hybrid materials. These dispersion methods are further applied for maximizing the performances of the NP interaction with the fundamental graphene platelets. The ne dispersion of graphene in primary platelet units and their hybridizations with NPs have a myriad of applications for fabricating devices with advanced properties of electric
conductivity, heat dissipation, and catalyst in dye-sensitized solar cell.
