Polymer/Graphene\nHybrid Aerogel with High Compressibility, Conductivity, and “Sticky”\nSuperhydrophobicity

Abstract

The\nidea of extending functions of graphene aerogels and achieving specific\napplications has aroused wide attention recently. A solution to this\nchallenge is the formation of a hybrid structure where the graphene\naerogels are decorated with other functional nanostructures. An infiltration–evaporation–curing\nstrategy has been proposed by the formation of hybrid structure containing\npoly­(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) and compressible graphene aerogel (CGA),\nwhere the cellular walls of the CGA are coated uniformly with an integrated\npolymer layer. The resulting composite shows enhanced compressive\nstrength and a stable Young’s modulus that are superior to\nthose of pure CGAs. This unique structure combines the advantages\nof both components, giving rise to an excellent electromechanical\nperformance, where the bulk resistance repeatedly shows a synchronous\nand linear response to variation of the volume during compression\nat a wide range of compressed rates. Furthermore, the foamlike structure\ndelivers a water droplet with “sticky” superhydrophobicity\nand a size as large as 32 μL that remains tightly pinned to\nthe composite, even when it is turned upside-down. This is the first\ndemonstration of superhydrophobicity with strong adhesion on a foamlike\nstructure. These outstanding properties qualify the PDMS/CGA composites\ndeveloped here as promising candidates for a wide range of applications\nsuch as in sensors, actuators, and materials used for biochemical\nseparation and tissue engineering.