Graphene-based Smart Research Articles

Graphene-based smart materials

The high specific surface area and the excellent mechanical, electrical, optical and thermal properties of graphene make it an attractive component for high-performance stimuli-responsive or ‘smart’ materials. Complementary to these inherent properties, functionalization or hybridization can substantially improve the performance of these materials. Typical graphene-based smart materials include mechanically exfoliated perfect graphene, chemical vapour deposited high-quality graphene, chemically modified graphene (for example, graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide) and their macroscopic assemblies or composites. These materials are sensitive to a range of stimuli, including gas molecules or biomolecules, pH value, mechanical strain, electrical field, and thermal or optical excitation. In this Review, we outline different graphene-based smart materials and their potential applications in actuators, chemical or strain sensors, self-healing materials, photothermal therapy and controlled drug delivery. We also introduce the working mechanisms of graphene-based smart materials and discuss the challenges facing the realization of their practical applications. Graphene and its macroscopic assemblies and composites are currently enabling a range of high-performance ‘smart’ materials that are responsive to various stimuli. In this Review, different graphene-based smart materials are described, along with their potential applications in actuators, chemical or strain sensors, self-healing materials, photothermal therapy and controlled drug delivery.

Smart Reinvention of the Contact Lens with Graphene.

With potential benefits to the 71 million contact lens users worldwide, contact lenses are being reinvented in the form of smart wearable electronics. In this issue of ACS Nano, Lee et al. report on the fascinating functions of a graphene-based smart contact lens that is able to protect eyes from electromagnetic waves and dehydration. Graphene and two-dimensional materials can be exploited in many opportunities in the development of smart contact lenses. Here, we briefly review and describe prospects for the future of smart contact lenses that incorporate graphene in their platforms.

A graphene-based smart catalytic system with superior catalytic performances and temperature responsive catalytic behaviors

We have successfully developed a unique graphene-based smart catalytic system which consists of the graphene supported Au-Pt bimetallic nanocatalyst with a well-defined core-shell structure and a dextran-based temperature-responsive polymer. The unique catalytic system possesses excellent catalytic performances and the catalytic activities could be readily switched on or off at different temperature windows.

Stimulus-responsive graphene systems towards actuator applications

The rise of graphene has triggered the fast increasing research upsurge in both controllable synthesis of graphene and unique applications associated with its miraculous properties. In particular, graphene-based smart devices that can automatically respond to external stimulations are among those attracting our most attention. In this featured article, we summarize some of the recent advances in stimulus-responsive graphene actuation systems contributed by us and others, and discuss the different roles that graphene plays in various actuation circumstances such as under electrical, chemical, photonic, thermal and other stimuli. Impressive progress including graphene-based robots is also presented, demonstrating the great prospects of graphene actuation systems in a wide range of applications including sensors, switches, artificial muscles, nano/micro electromechanical devices, etc.

Interface Engineering Catalytic Graphene for Smart Colorimetric Biosensing

Herein a hybrid catalyst consisting of "naked" Au-NPs in situ grown on graphene sheets is engineered, which exhibits a synergetic effect in mimicking peroxidase at its interface, although free Au-NPs or graphene alone has very little activity. What is more, one of the unique features of our synergetic catalyst is that its interface can be reversibly switched from "inactive" to "active" upon treatment with different ssDNA species in solution, thus providing a powerful and versatile basis for designing graphene/DNA-based label-free colorimetric biosensors. Compared with other signal transduction modes in traditional graphene/aptamer-based systems, our novel signaling strategy not only avoids any labeling or modification procedures but also reduces the background signal due to the "off-on" switching mode during the sensing. Furthermore, this facile and general approach can be applicable to the other extended graphene/aptamer-based systems for colorimetric detection of a wide range of analytes. We envision that the tunable graphene-based smart interface could find potential applications in the development of biocatalysis, bioassays, and smart material devices in the future.