Mechanical and electro-mechanical properties of three-dimensional nanoporous graphene-poly(vinylidene fluoride) composites

Abstract

Abstract. Three-dimensional nanoporous graphene monoliths are utilized to prepare graphene-poly(vinylidene fluoride) nanocomposites with enhanced mechanical and electro-mechanical properties. Pre-treatment of the polymer (poly(vinylidene fluoride), PVDF) with graphene oxides (GOs) facilitates the formation of uniform and thin PVDF films with a typical thickness below 100 nm well coated at the graphene nano-sheets. Besides their excellent compressibility, ductility and mechanical strength, the nanoporous graphene-PVDF nanocomposites are found to possess high sensitivity in strain-dependent electrical conductivity. The improved mechanical and electro-mechanical properties are ascribed to the enhanced crystalline β phase in PVDF which possesses piezoelectricity. The mechanical relaxation analyses on the interfaces between graphene and PVDF reveal that the improved mechanical and electro-mechanical properties could result from the interaction between the -C=O groups in the nanoporous graphene and the -CF 2 groups in PVDF, which also explains the important role of GOs in the preparation of the graphene-polymer nanocomposites with superior combined mechanical and electro-mechanical properties.

Novel electrospun polyvinylidene fluoride-graphene oxide-silver nanocomposite membranes with protein and bacterial antifouling characteristics

“…With the recent progress in nanotechnology, a wide range of nanomaterials has been synthesized and produced for technological applications. So nanomaterials have been added to various polymers for improving their mechanical, physical and chemical properties [13][14][15][16][17][18][19]. As mentioned before, hydrophobic PVDF membranes suffer from organic and biofouling greatly.…”

PVDF-supported graphene foam as a robust current collector for lithium metal anodes

“…The IR transmittance peaks located at $880 and $837 cm À1 indicate the presence of the b phase of PVDF on the surface of PSGF. 18 With the support of PVDF, the PSGF is robust enough to be applied as current collector for lithium metal anode.…”