Technical viewpoint on polystyrene/graphene nanocomposite

This review presents state-of-the-art progress in the field of polystyrene (PS)/graphene nanocomposite. Graphene is a monoatomic thick nanoallotrope of carbon. It has attracted tremendous research consideration owing to chemical functionalization aptitude and remarkable physical properties. Graphene has been used as a potential nanofiller to dramatically improve the performance of polymeric nanocomposite. PS is an important synthetic aromatic thermoplastic polymer. Graphene has been used to enhance the mechanical strength, thermal stability, electrical conductivity, and thermal conductivity of PS/graphene nanocomposite. Dispersion routes and synthetic methods of graphene and PS/graphene nanocomposite have also been reviewed. PS/graphene nanocomposites have been explored for anticorrosion, electromagnetic interference shielding, batteries, electrocatalysis, and microextraction applications. In spite of interesting developments, a lot remains to be done with regard to fundamental understanding of structure–property relationship and designing materials to operate for advanced high performance applications. This review is also concluded listing current challenges associated with processing and future perspectives of nanocomposite.