Reinforcement of a Sugar-Based Bolaamphiphile/Functionalized
Graphene Oxide Composite Gel: Rheological and Electrochemical Properties
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Abstract
A sugar-based bolaamphiphile/graphene
oxide composite hydrogel
has been prepared using simple mixing. Unlike the corresponding sugar-based
native gel, the composite gel exhibits a fibrillar structure with
a 10–20 nm fiber diameter. The composite gel forms an interdigitated
bilayer structure incorporating intermolecular hydrogen-bonding interactions.
The composite gel formation did not change the beneficial electrical
properties of graphene offering the potential for integration of this
new material into electronic systems. Interestingly, the mechanical
and electrochemical properties of the composite gel are both dramatically
enhanced when compared to the native gel, thereby reflecting that
the functionalized graphene oxide layers are efficiently intercalated
within the composite gel structure