Integration of Stiff Graphene and Tough Silk for the Design and Fabrication of Versatile Electronic Materials

Abstract

The production of structural and functional materials with enhanced mechanical properties through the integration of soft and hard components is a common approach to Nature’s materials design. However, directly mimicking these optimized design routes in the lab for practical applications remains challenging. For example, graphene and silk are two materials with complementary mechanical properties that feature ultrahigh stiffness and toughness, respectively. Yet no simple and controllable approach has been developed to homogeneously integrate these two components into functional composites, mainly due to the hydrophobicity and chemical inertness of the graphene. In this study, well-dispersed and highly stable graphene/silk fibroin (SF) suspension systems were developed, which are suitable for processing to fabricate polymorphic materials, such as films, fibers, and coatings. The obtained graphene/SF nanocomposites maintain the electronic advantages of graphene, and they also allow tailorable mechanical performance to form including ultrahigh stretchable (with a strain to failure to 611±85%), or high strength (339 MPa) and high stiffness (7.4 GPa) material systems. More remarkably, the electrical resistances of these graphene/SF materials are sensitive to material deformation, body movement, as well as humidity and chemical environmental changes. These unique features promise their utility as wearable sensors, smart textiles, intelligent skins, and human-machine interfaces.

Role of Interface Interactions in the Construction of GO‐Based Artificial Nacres

“…Various molecules, including small solvent molecules, [104,145,146] linear polymers, [102,104,110,113,[147][148][149] branched polymers, [111] and biomacromolecules, [96,105,106,114,150] could be used to construct hydrogen bonding between adjacent GO nanosheets. Various molecules, including small solvent molecules, [104,145,146] linear polymers, [102,104,110,113,[147][148][149] branched polymers, [111] and biomacromolecules, [96,105,106,114,150] could be used to construct hydrogen bonding between adjacent GO nanosheets.…”

“…However, the dense hydrogen bonding network restricts the deformation of HPG, thereby resulting in lower tensile strain (≈3.7%) than pure GO fiber (≈6.8-10.1%). [164] Compared with the synthesized polymers, the biomacromolecules, such as konjac glucomannan [114] and silk fibroin (SF), [96,105,106,150] have the advantage of providing large plastic deformation due to the complex multilevel spatial structure. [164] Compared with the synthesized polymers, the biomacromolecules, such as konjac glucomannan [114] and silk fibroin (SF), [96,105,106,150] have the advantage of providing large plastic deformation due to the complex multilevel spatial structure.…”

“…Hydrogen bonding is a kind of common interaction in nature, which is formed between an electronegative atom and a hydrogen atom attached to another electronegative atom. Various molecules, including small solvent molecules, [104,145,146] linear polymers, [102,104,110,113,[147][148][149] branched polymers, [111] and biomacromolecules, [96,105,106,114,150] could be used to construct hydrogen bonding between adjacent GO nanosheets. Generally, hydrogen bonding could increase the mechanical properties of GANs but decrease their electrical conductivity.…”

Assembling 1D and Janus Nanobelts into 2D Aeolotropic Conductive Janus Membranes and 3D Double‐Walled Janus Tubes

“…At present, multi-functional nanomaterials [13,14] have attracted extensive attention from researchers. Nanomaterials [15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23] with a single function such as magnetic, [24] conductive [25] or fluorescent characteristics [26,27] are developing towards multifunctional nanomaterids such as with magnetismfluorescence, [28][29][30] fluorescence-conduction, [31,32] conduction-magnetism [33,34] dual-functionality and fluorescence-conductionmagnetism [35,36] tri-functionality. In this way, it is possible to realize double or triple functions in a nanostructured material, which is of great significance for the development of nanoscience and technology.…”

Nanobiopolymers Fabrication and Their Life Cycle Assessments

“…Nanobiopolymers with different diameters and aspect ratios, have been successfully produced from nature, agricultural and forestry products, such as wood, cotton, coconut, shrimp/crab shells, silk fibers, rice, wheat, and potato, etc . And their applications have been extended from polymer fillers into various high‐tech fields, such as transparent display panels, ultrafiltration membranes, energy storage devices and catalytic supports . The forecasted growth rate for nanobiopolymers products is 38.6% from 2015 to 2020, with a global revenue of nearly $2 billion in 2020 .…”