Highlights on the Effects of Graphene-Family Materials Dispersion on Hydration and Mechanical Properties of Cement-Based Materials

Graphene-family materials (GFMs) have gained notoriety in academic research due to their ability to improve the mechanical properties of cementitious matrices and provide new functionalities to conventional systems, such as self-healing properties. However, the use of GFMs faces challenges due to the difficulty of these materials dispersing properly in cementitious matrices, often resulting in the agglomeration of nanomaterials. This tendency to agglomerate directly impacts critical properties of cementitious matrices such as workability and mechanical strength. Therefore, several research studies are being conducted to address dispersion issues and understand the interactions between GFMs and their matrices. However, the literature still lacks consensus on important topics, such as the parameter definitions that influence the cement hydration reaction rate, the factors affecting workability, the cement/GFMs interaction models, the type and optimal amount of GFMs to be used for each system, the characteristics of those GFMs (type and amount of functional groups, presence or absence of defects), and how differences in matrices and dispersants affect mechanical strength parameters. Finally, this work synthesizes the current knowledge on the effects of GFMs and their dispersion on cementitious properties, while also providing an assessment of the limitations of meta-analytical approaches in this field.