Interfacial assembly of Graphene Oxide at oil/water and polymer/polymer interfaces

Amphiphilic structure of graphene oxide makes it a candidate ``surfactant'' to preferentially segregate to the interface between different fluids. The affinity of graphene oxide towards different phases was tuned by grafting with polystyrene (PS-NH$_{2})$ through hydrogen bonding, and its interfacial behavior, both in toluene/water and polystyrene/poly(methyl methacrylate), was studied. The surface tension of the toluene/water interface decreases in the presence of PS-NH$_{2}$ grafted graphene oxide, indicating that graphene oxide flakes can be forced to the toluene/water interface when grafted with PS-NH$_{2}$. Transmission electron microscopy shows that graphene oxide can even be forced into a ``jammed'' state at the water/toluene interface. In addition, polystyrene and poly(methyl methacrylate) were blended with graphene oxide, its morphology changes from island type to co-continuous structure, but the mechanism of this behavior is still not clear. These interfacial sheets may provide a model system to study buckling and crumpling behavior at interfaces.