Investigation of increased electrical conductivity by rGO in rGO/PVDF/PMMA/PTFE nanocomposites

• Thin rGO/Polymers(s) (PVDF, PMMA & PTFE) nanocomposites prepared by low-cost solution casting method. • Improved dc conductivity by rGO in PVDF, PMMA & PTFE matrix. • Control over interaction of PVDF and PMMA matrix with incorporation of PTFE. • Formation of β phase in PVDF with incorporation of PTFE in PVDF and PMMA matrix. In present work, the rGO/PVDF/PMMA/PTFE nanocomposites' thin films (∼50 µm) were synthesized with solvent casting technique. A PVDF, PMMA and PTFE matrix with rGO as an additive exhibited 97.12% increase in conductivity and a high dielectric constant as compared to PVDF matrix. The XRD analysis and calculated fraction of β phase values confirmed that with the incorporation of PTFE in rGO/PMMA/PVDF matrix, the interaction of PVDF and PMMA was restricted and the interaction of rGO and PVDF was enhanced, which resulted in the development of β phase in PVDF. The increased dc conductivity of the composite has been attributed to the altered morphology of rGO. Interaction mechanism is also discussed. FTIR exhibited that with incorporation of PTFE in PMMA and PVDF matrix, interaction of PVDF and PMMA was affected and no FTIR signature of anhydride formation was observed. This work provides the fundamental clue to manage interaction between PVDF and PMMA polymer matrix and to initiate β phase in PVDF. Prepared membranes can have application in development of biosensors.