Graphene
Aerogel/Epoxy Composites with Exceptional
Anisotropic Structure and Properties
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Abstract
3D
interconnected graphene aerogels (GAs) are prepared through
one-step chemical reduction and rational assembly of graphene oxide
(GO) sheets, so that the difficulties to uniformly disperse the individual
graphene sheets in the polymer matrixes are avoided. Apart from ultralow
density, high porosity, high electrical conductivity, and excellent
compressibility, the resulting GAs possess a cellular architecture
with a high degree of alignment when the graphene content is above
a threshold, ∼0.5 wt %. The composites prepared by infiltrating
GA with epoxy resin present excellent electrical conductivities, together
with high mechanical properties and fracture toughness. The unusual
anisotropic structure gives rise to ∼67% and ∼113% higher
electrical conductivity and fracture toughness of the composites,
respectively, in the alignment direction than that transverse to it