Metal–organic framework (MOF)-derived nanocarbons
have emerged
as promising materials for energy and environmental applications owing
to their high surface area, structural and chemical tunability, and
hierarchical porosity. Although various carbon-based materials such
as graphene and carbon nanotubes have been extensively used as secondary
sintering additives to develop advanced ceramics with improved mechanical,
thermal, and electrical properties, the potential of MOF-derived nanocarbon-based
materials has not been explored. Here, we report the first use of
MOF-derived nanocarbons as a reinforcement phase in ceramic composites.
To this end, Al2O3 and zeolitic imidazolate
framework (ZIF-8) are used as the ceramic matrix and nanocarbon source,
respectively. The ceramic composites are produced by densifying Al2O3 and ZIF-8 powder mixtures using spark plasma
sintering (SPS) at 1550 °C and uniaxial pressure of 50 MPa. The
fracture toughness of the composite increases up to 67% in comparison
to an alumina monolith as ZIF-derived nanocarbons form interlayers
to assist the dissipation of energy during the crack propagation and
inhibit grain growth. The room-temperature electrical conductivity
of the sintered samples drastically increases with the in situ formed
nanocarbon-based fillers, reaching as high as 1410 S/m for 10 wt %
ZIF-8 content. These results constitute an excellent initial step
toward boosting the mechanical and electrical properties of ceramic
matrix composites with in situ MOF-derived nanocarbons.
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