Highly Compressible, Light-Weight and robust Nitrogen-Doped graphene composite aerogel for sensitive pressure sensors

Abstract

The demand for compressible multifunctional carbon aerogels with reliable mechanical properties and high response sensitivity has increased in the competitive smart electronics era. This study presents a novel nitrogen-doped graphene composite aerogel that exhibits exceptional robustness, elasticity, and lightweight characteristics. The synthesis involves combining dispersions of Graphene Oxide (GO), Dopamine (DA), and Polyaniline (PANI), followed by chemical reduction, crosslinking at 90 °C, freeze-drying, and thermal annealing. The incorporation of flexible DA with the graphene sheet enhances the composite gel’s toughness, while the π-π stacking interaction between PANI and the graphene sheet strengthens the aerogel framework. The resulting composite aerogel, named GDPA demonstrates outstanding strength, toughness, and compressibility due to the combined effects of DA and PANI. Furthermore, GDPA is assembled into a pressure sensor that exhibits excellent compressive cycle stability. The sensor achieves a low detection limit of 0 Pa and a wide detection range of 0 to 25.48 kPa, surpassing the performance of most previously reported graphene-based aerogels. The remarkable properties of GDPA suggest its immense potential for application in healthcare detection, wearable electronics, and intelligent packaging.