Intercross-linked aramid nanofibers/graphene hybrid films toward high mechanical strength and electrical conductivity

Abstract

Although macro graphene films exhibit excellent electrical conductivity, the low tensile strength severely hampers the application of graphene films. Combined with polymers can improve the mechanical properties to a degree, but it usually dramatically decreases the electrical conductivities of graphene films. It is thus a great challenge to make a trade-off between high electrical conductivity and excellent mechanical properties of graphene films. Herein, we designed a homogeneous layer-by-layer microstructure combining reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanosheets with aramid nanofiber (ANF) to obtain composite films referred to as rGO/ANF. By tuning the concentration of ANF, a balanced electrical and mechanical performance can be achieved. It is revealed that the tensile strength of the optimized composite film with 10 wt% ANF was dramatically improved by 194% comparing to the pure rGO film, and the electrical conductivity still maintained at a relatively high level (8495 S m−1). The remarkable overall properties can be attributed to the unique structure with abundant hydrogen bonds and π-π interactions formed between rGO and ANF. The results demonstrate that this is indeed an efficient strategy to balance the electrical conductivity and tensile strength of the graphene-polymer composites, making it promising in the application of multi-functional electronic devices.