Nanocomposites

1Graphite and Graphene Nanoplatelets (GNP) Filled Polymer Matrix Nanocomposites

Marc PONÇOT, Adrien LETOFFE, Stéphane CUYNET, Sébastien FONTANA and Lucie SPEYER

Institut Jean Lamour, University of Lorraine, Nancy, France

1.1. General information on graphene

1.1.1. Definition and structure

Graphene is a plane of carbon atoms in sp² hybridization. It is the basic constituent of graphite, carbon nanotubes and fullerenes. Figure 1.1 shows a graphene plane.

Graphene can present some structural defects, although its low dimensionality reduces the number of possible imperfections. For instance, the graphene plane may not be strictly composed of hexagons of carbon atoms: these are Stone–Wales defects, where four hexagons are transformed into two pentagons and two heptagons when one of the bonds rotates. Single and double gaps can appear, as well as dislocations, atoms and impurities of substitution. These defects have a strong influence on the physical properties of graphene. In addition, some defects generate dangling bonds that increase the chemical reactivity of graphene (Banhart et al. 2011).

Figure 1.1. Representation of a graphene plane

1.1.2. Structures associated with graphene

As will be discussed later in this chapter, a single graphene plane is difficult to obtain and synthesis methods most often result in the stacking of multiple planes, often referred to in the literature ...