Formulations incorporating benzophenone oligodimethacrylate (BP-DMA) and
graphene structures (graphene oxide/GO, reduced graphene oxide/RGO) were
exposed to UV/vis irradiation or femtosecond laser beam to achieve hybrid
composites. All structures were characterized through various methods
including 1H NMR and FTIR spectroscopies, optical microscopy, TEM, SEM/EDAX
analysis, and DSC/XRD techniques. The photopolymerization of BP-DMA in
monomer compositions with and without GO or RGO was investigated by photo-DSC
and FTIR methods for determining the polymerization kinetic parameters. The
photopolymerization experiments revealed a good photoreactivity of the
monomers (degree of conversion: 65-77%) after 1 minute exposure to UV/vis
irradiation and the addition of graphene (up to 0.5%), whereas the
polymerization rate varied between 0.14 and 0.1 s-1. Moreover, two-photon
photopolymerization of the formulations in presence/absence of GO or RGO
nanosheets (0.1 wt.%) generated 2D microstructures by direct laser writing
procedure. Also, the morphology and the properties of composites materials
were analyzed.