Summary
Graphene oxide (GO) is a promising reinforcement for polymer nanofibres, but its effect depends strongly on how well it disperses and bonds to the matrix. This study compares plain GO with GO whose surface has been grafted with poly(ethylene glycol) (GO-g-PEG) as fillers in electrospun poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) nanofibre scaffolds, prepared at several filler concentrations. The authors relate processing to morphology and properties: adding plain GO reduced the average fibre diameter, whereas the PEG-grafted GO increased it, reflecting changes in the suspension’s viscosity. Both fillers made the normally hydrophobic PCL more wettable, with GO-g-PEG giving the best hydrophilicity. Mechanically, GO raised the Young’s modulus of the fibre mats and PEG grafting improved it further, especially at low filler loadings — pointing to better filler dispersion and interfacial bonding.