Ricerc@Sapienza

Novel silicone-based nanocomposites with varied elastic properties were prepared by blending standard polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) with a lower viscosity component (hydroxyl-terminated PDMS) and integrating a graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) filler modified by strands of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). The curing behavior of these nanocomposites was studied by dynamic and isothermal differential scanning calorimetry.

In this paper, we report our recent results on the preparation and characterization of biocompatible nanocomposites made of a silicone-based polymer matrix with tunable elasticity (polydimethylsiloxane, PDMS, and its mixtures with hydroxyl-terminated PDMS) and DNA-functionalized graphene nanoplatelets as fillers. The aim is to exploit the biocompatible character and the high flexibility of the PDMS matrix, together with the exceptional mechanical strength, and good thermal and electrical conductivity of the graphene nanofillers (GNP) for applications in biomedical and sensing devices.