Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Preparation and characterization of highly conductive polyurethane composites containing graphene and gold nanoparticles

  • Polymers
  • Published:
Journal of Materials Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Two series of gold nanoparticles/graphene/polyurethane composite films were prepared using a solution mixing method. The first series was of constant loading of graphene/polyurethane with varying levels of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), while the second was of varying graphene content with constant loading of AuNPs. The electrical conductivity of the AuNPs/graphene/polyurethane composites was determined using the two-point probe method. For the first series, a maximum conductivity of 0.424 S cm−1 was achieved with a 5% AuNPs/5% graphene/polyurethane composite, and for the second, a maximum conductivity of 1.388 S cm−1 was achieved with a 5% AuNPs/15% graphene/polyurethane composite. The composites were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, and tensile testing methods. Tensile strengths and thermogravimetric analyses showed, respectively, acceptable mechanical properties and thermal stability of the parent polyurethanes. Furthermore, cytotoxicity assay tests evidenced that AuNPs/graphene/polyurethane composites were not cytotoxic to living cells in vitro and, consequently, potentially useful in biomedical applications.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
Figure 8

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Jagur-Grodzinski J (2012) Biomedical applications of electrically conductive polymeric systems. e-Polymers 12(1):722–740

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Granström M, Inganäs O (1995) Electrically conductive polymer fibres with mesoscopic diameters: 1. Studies of structure and electrical properties. Polymer 36(15):2867–2872

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Kim DH et al (2007) Effect of immobilized nerve growth factor on conductive polymers: electrical properties and cellular response. Adv Funct Mater 17(1):79–86

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Kaur G et al (2015) Electrically conductive polymers and composites for biomedical applications. RSC Adv 5(47):37553–37567

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Wang W et al (2014) One-pot fabrication and thermoelectric properties of Ag nanoparticles–polyaniline hybrid nanocomposites. RSC Adv 4(51):26810–26816

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Gunatillake PA et al (2003) Designing biostable polyurethane elastomers for biomedical implants. Aust J Chem 56(6):545–557

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Gunatillake PA et al (2000) Poly (dimethylsiloxane)/poly (hexamethylene oxide) mixed macrodiol based polyurethane elastomers. I. Synthesis and properties. J Appl Polym Sci 76(14):2026–2040

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Gogolewski S (1989) Selected topics in biomedical polyurethanes. A review. Colloid Polym Sci 267(9):757–785

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Kathalewar MS et al (2013) Non-isocyanate polyurethanes: from chemistry to applications. RSC Adv 3(13):4110–4129

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Hsu S-H, Tang C-M, Tseng H-J (2008) Gold nanoparticles induce surface morphological transformation in polyurethane and affect the cellular response. Biomacromolecules 9(1):241–248

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Shukla R et al (2005) Biocompatibility of gold nanoparticles and their endocytotic fate inside the cellular compartment: a microscopic overview. Langmuir 21(23):10644–10654

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Daniel M-C, Astruc D (2004) Gold nanoparticles: assembly, supramolecular chemistry, quantum-size-related properties, and applications toward biology, catalysis, and nanotechnology. Chem Rev 104(1):293–346

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Matte HR, Subrahmanyam K, Rao C (2009) Novel magnetic properties of graphene: presence of both ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic features and other aspects. J Phys Chem C 113(23):9982–9985

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Sun X et al (2013) Developing polymer composite materials: carbon nanotubes or graphene? Adv Mater 25(37):5153–5176

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Potts JR et al (2011) Graphene-based polymer nanocomposites. Polymer 52(1):5–25

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Mittal V, Nuzzo R, Kroto H (2012) Polymer-graphene nanocomposites. Royal Society of Chemistry, London

    Book  Google Scholar 

  17. Stankovich S et al (2006) Graphene-based composite materials. Nature 442(7100):282–286

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Kaur G et al (2015) Graphene/polyurethane composites: fabrication and evaluation of electrical conductivity, mechanical properties and cell viability. RSC Adv 5(120):98762–98772

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Hsu S-H, Lin Z-C (2004) Biocompatibility and biostability of a series of poly(carbonate)urethanes. Colloids Surf B 36(1):1–12

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Shan C et al (2010) Graphene/AuNPs/chitosan nanocomposites film for glucose biosensing. Biosens Bioelectron 25(5):1070–1074

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Simmons A et al (2004) Long-term in vivo biostability of poly(dimethylsiloxane)/poly(hexamethylene oxide) mixed macrodiol-based polyurethane elastomers. Biomaterials 25(20):4887–4900

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Choi J et al (2013) Facile solvothermal preparation of monodisperse gold nanoparticles and their engineered assembly of ferritin-gold nanoclusters. Langmuir 29(50):15698–15703

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Turcheniuk K, Boukherroub R, Szunerits S (2015) Gold–graphene nanocomposites for sensing and biomedical applications. J Mater Chem B 3(21):4301–4324

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Mudumba R, Padsalgikar AD, Littler SW (2006) Evaluation of aqueous extracts from Elast-Eon polymers for methylene dianiline (MDA) by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Aust J Chem 58(12):845–850

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Hernandez R et al (2008) In vitro oxidation of high polydimethylsiloxane content biomedical polyurethanes: correlation with the microstructure. J Biomed Mater Res Part A 87(2):546–556

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Polavarapu L et al (2009) Optical-limiting properties of oleylamine-capped gold nanoparticles for both femtosecond and nanosecond laser pulses. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 1(10):2298–2303

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Ramaraj B (2007) Electrical and mechanical properties of thermoplastic polyurethane and polytetrafluoroethylene powder composites. Polym Plast Technol Eng 46(6):575–578

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Compton OC, Nguyen ST (2010) Graphene oxide, highly reduced graphene oxide, and graphene: versatile building blocks for carbon-based materials. Small 6(6):711–723

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Ahmad R et al (2015) Nanocomposites of gold nanoparticles@ molecularly imprinted polymers: chemistry, processing, and applications in sensors. Chem Mater 27(16):5464–5478

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Zadeh EM et al (2014) Physical and thermal characterization of graphene oxide modified gelatin-based thin films. Polym Compos 35(10):2043–2049

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Xu Y et al (2008) Flexible graphene films via the filtration of water-soluble noncovalent functionalized graphene sheets. J Am Chem Soc 130(18):5856–5857

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Yousefi N et al (2012) Self-alignment and high electrical conductivity of ultralarge graphene oxide–polyurethane nanocomposites. J Mater Chem 22(25):12709–12717

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Rana S, Cho JW, Tan LP (2013) Graphene-crosslinked polyurethane block copolymer nanocomposites with enhanced mechanical, electrical, and shape memory properties. RSC Adv 3(33):13796–13803

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Kotzar G et al (2002) Evaluation of MEMS materials of construction for implantable medical devices. Biomaterials 23(13):2737–2750

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge Dr Ajay Padsalgikar of St Jude Medical for providing Elast-Eon™ samples and Mark Greaves for his help with performing SEM.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. CSIRO Manufacturing, Bayview Avenue, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia

    Nuha Y. Al-Attabi, Gagan Kaur, Raju Adhikari, Peter Cass, Mark Bown & Pathiraja Gunatillake

  2. Faculty of Science Engineering and Technology, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, 3122, Australia

    Nuha Y. Al-Attabi, François Malherbe & Aimin Yu

  3. CSIRO Manufacturing, Julius Avenue, North Ryde, NSW, 2113, Australia

    Meg Evans

Authors
  1. Nuha Y. Al-Attabi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Gagan Kaur
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Raju Adhikari
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Peter Cass
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Mark Bown
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Meg Evans
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Pathiraja Gunatillake
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. François Malherbe
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Aimin Yu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Pathiraja Gunatillake or Aimin Yu.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

We wish to confirm that there are no known conflicts of interest associated with this publication and there has been no significant financial support for this work that could have influenced its outcome.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Al-Attabi, N.Y., Kaur, G., Adhikari, R. et al. Preparation and characterization of highly conductive polyurethane composites containing graphene and gold nanoparticles. J Mater Sci 52, 11774–11784 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-017-1335-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-017-1335-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation