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Strain Sensing Based on Multiscale Composite Materials Reinforced with Graphene Nanoplatelets
Published on: November 7, 2016
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Graphene oxide bulk material reinforced by heterophase platelets with multiscale interface crosslinking
Ke Chen1, Xuke Tang1,2, Binbin Jia1
1Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, Key Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Smart Interfacial Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry, Beihang University, Beijing, China.
Nature Materials
|July 7, 2022
Summary
Researchers developed a new bulk material using graphene oxide (GO) and manganese dioxide (MnO2) nanosheets. This advanced composite demonstrates superior flexural strength and toughness for demanding applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Composite Materials
Background:
- Graphene oxide (GO) and reduced GO exhibit excellent mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties, leading to extensive research in nanocomposites.
- A key limitation of GO-based composites, particularly bulk materials, is their constrained flexural mechanical properties due to GO nanosheets' flexibility and weak interlayer interactions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and fabricate a centimeter-sized, GO-based bulk material with enhanced mechanical properties, inspired by nacre's structure.
- To overcome the limitations of GO-based materials in flexural strength and toughness for practical applications.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a GO/MnO2-based layered (GML) bulk material using building blocks of GO and amorphous/crystalline leaf-like MnO2 hexagon nanosheets.
- Adhesion of building blocks with polymer-based crosslinkers, followed by stacking, hot pressing, and inter-layer crosslinking.
- Characterization of mechanical properties including flexural strength, fracture toughness, and impact resistance, supported by experimental and numerical analyses.
Main Results:
- The GML bulk material achieved a flexural strength of 231.2 MPa.
- The material demonstrated significant fracture toughness and impact resistance while maintaining a lightweight profile.
- Ordered heterophase structure and synergistic crosslinking interactions across multiscale interfaces were identified as key contributors to the superior mechanical performance.
Conclusions:
- The developed GML bulk material offers a promising solution for enhancing the mechanical properties of GO-based composites.
- The findings provide valuable insights for designing advanced structural materials with high performance.
- Potential applications are foreseen in aerospace, biomedicine, and electronics industries for high-performance GO-based bulk materials.
