Graphene Based Biopolymer Nanocomposites in Sensors

Abstract

The marvelous electrical, optical, mechanical and thermal characteristics coupled with high specific surface area of graphene label it as an appealing integrant for high-performance stimuli responsive smart materials. Typical graphene-based smart materials include mechanically exfoliated perfect graphene, chemical vapor deposited high-quality graphene, chemically modified graphene including, graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide and their macroscopic assemblies or composites. The interaction of graphene based materials with biopolymers to deliver surprisingly beguiling electrical, mechanical, optical, thermal and sensing properties have received considerable attention. Biopolymer-based materials have the advantage of light weight, enhanced transparency, good elasticity, and biodegradability but are abided by drawback of poor mechanical strength, slow response and disappointing environmental stability. Howbeit, graphene fabricated biopolymers proffer propitious characteristics including sensitivity to a range of stimuli including gas molecules or biomolecules, pH value, mechanical flexibility, electrical and thermal conductivity to aid ceaseless promising development in sensor technology. In the chapter, we outline several graphene fabricated biopolymer nanocomposite-based smart sensors and their implication in chemical or strain sensors, actuators, gas sensors, detection of several biomolecules and their delivery. We also shed light on the sensing properties and debate about the challenges facing realization of their practicality.