Synthesis of electrically conducting nanocomposites via Pickering miniemulsion polymerization: Effect of graphene oxide functionalized with different capping agents

• Different capping agents were used to functionalise GO. • Functionalised GO was used as a surfactant in Pickering miniemulsion polymerisation to synthesise nanocomposite latexes. • Polarity of capping agents influenced the surfactant ability of functionalised GO in Pickering miniemulsion polymerisation. • Nanocomposite latexes formed films at ambient temperature. • Final properties of nanocomposite films were dependent on the capping agent. Modification of graphene oxide (GO) sheets with various capping agents has been explored within the context of miniemulsion polymerization as a synthetic route towards ambient temperature film forming latexes for fabrication of electrically conducting films after thermal reduction to generate reduced GO. Miniemulsion polymerizations of styrene/n-butyl acrylate were conducted in the presence of non-modified GO as well as GO functionalized with poly(methyl methacrylate) (GO-PMMA), poly(di(ethylene glycol) ethyl ether acrylate) (GO-PDEGA), and carboxylic acid groups (GO-COOH). Colloidal instability was encountered for GO-PMMA and GO-PDEGA, but stable latexes and nanocomposite films were successfully obtained using GO and GO-COOH. Electrical conductivities in the approximate range of 0.1–4 S m −1 were obtained, with GO-COOH giving slightly lower values than GO, and the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) resulting in increasing conductivity values for both GO and GO-COOH.